The Crescendo High Murders
by BloomingYandere
Summary: Masayuki is a bit crazy, like hearing voices crazy. So when he can't handle things anymore...some people go missing. After all hurting a yandere's feelings have repercussions. But Masayuki can't seem to stop now...or rather he truly can't stop. Now it's only a matter of time until the bodies begin piling up... (All chapters are currently being updated as of 10/12/15)
1. Chapter 1

**I think I've said it before but I lose muse for stories quickly unless people want more xD. Tell me you want another chapter or else I won't continue the story. XD Cause I lose muse like quickly. Anyway I heard this creeeepy song the other day and it inspired me to come up with this. I might make this a series if you guys like it enough. Anyway let's get this over with.**

**The Crescendo High Murders: Kerosene and Kisses**

_I wish I could have you_

_Here_

_In my clutches_

_To remove the excuses from your mind_

_To part that haze and slice your soul to pieces_

_To sing a lullaby as I tied you to the slab_

_To shave your head with a dulling razor_

_As you watch_

_In the splattered mirror above you_

_To break your ribs individually_

_With a rock hammer_

_To shatter your shin bones_

_With a shovel_

_To burn your fingers &amp; toes_

_To a necrotic black_

_With liquid nitrogen_

_To crack your teeth_

_With a splintered club_

_To pierce your limbs_

_With a nail gun_

_To silence your cries_

_To laugh in your eyes_

_To sharpen my favorite slicing device_

_And take your arms ah the elbows_

_To keep you alive_

_For a few moments longer_

_To smell your fear_

_To cover your body_

_With kisses &amp; kerosene_

_To watch you burn_

_As my human sacrifice_

_To hear you_

_Scream in agony_

_The popping_

_Of your flesh_

_Crackling_

_As it cooks_

_To feel your child smile_

_The one you betrayed_

_The one you took_

_For nothing_

_For selfishness..._

Rin Kagamine had never been a religious girl. This was the girl who sang "Song for Great Satan" after all. Maybe she was an atheist.

However, when she opened his eyes to the cold gray stone the dungeon walls, its darkness almost suffocating, her mind cried out for whatever God would listen, begging that this all be a nightmare and not reality.

After a futile struggle against her bonds, she realized or rather felt the cold and rusted steel cutting against her wrist and ankles, and the cold stone of the slab on which she lay chilled her to the core. Only a moment later did she realize she was naked. Her head affixed to the slab made only allowed her blue eyes to look up at a dirty mirror, so decayed with rust that she could barely make out her reflection.

"H-Hello? Please...is anyone out there?" At her plea, the deafening sound of the large metal door creaking out penetrated the silence.

She could hear footsteps but she couldn't see who or what entered but it was apparent that whomever entered wasn't an angel.

Through the silence, a familiar voice cut through, humming merrily a song she recognized from long ago. Twilight Homicide. All coming from a boy she knew. Or at least she knew of. Masayuki. He sat behind her in class. The brother of Mayu and a pretty unnoticeable boy beyond the rainbow tips of his hair.

He leaned casually against the door frame, his black button up top, unbuttoned and untucked from his short pants, leaving his nearly milky white skin of his chest bare and exposed. He looked dazed as if he wasn't completely with it.

"Masa...yuki?" Was about all she could say, before she sputtered out just as quickly" Help me! Untie me!"

The oddly tall for his age boy walked towards her, placing his hands against the stone between the girl's feet, He merely regarded her with only mild curiosity, one delicate eyebrow arched.

"Oh princess...why would I help you after I went through all the trouble of getting you here..." He chided, his tone mildly amused as a small smile graced his plump lips. It was all Rin could do to release a nervous chuckle.

"Ha, you did this? Masa if this was your idea of a game-"

She stopped for a moment she herself wasn't sure that that "game" was the right word here. This seemed to be a blatant kidnapping.

Masayuki sighed at the girl's stupidity part of which he found adorable. As he lifted his knee to climb up on the slab, he shook his head as he replied, "I'm afraid I've had enough of games..."

Anyone who really knew him, knew that behind that innocent face and quiet demeanor lied a monster. He had for ages now been stalking the elder Kagamine twin. His love or dare say obsession with her got worse by the day. It wasn't love that drove his actions anymore. It was hate. A relentless hate that he now had for her. As far as his twisted mind knew Rin was in his way, she had caused him far too much grief and now...punishment had to be dealt. Nothing would save her from him. Not now not ever. And now that he had her he would keep her with him forever.

Slowly, Masayuki crept up the length of Rin's body, his head bowed and and shielded his face behind the veil of his platinum blonde hair.

"Masa, please-"

"Shut up!" the boy shouted suddenly. Rin felt something cold and thick run along her leg, and press into her thigh.

"It takes quite a lady to break someone down to this…wouldn't you agree?"

He spat out the statement as though it were poison already close to killing him. "Especially to someone who loved her dearly." It wasn't until Rin saw the telltale gleam that it was clear what the mystery object pressed against her was, and she flew into a panic. Masayuki of course continued to talk calmly as if this was normal.

"Perhaps therein lies the problem. You don't think before you act...you're just a mindless beast aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?! I haven't-!"

Her head then jerked only slightly to the right when the tip of the knife connected harshly with her jaw.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Masayuki asked, his voice eerily calm. He laid down on his side next to the bound girl, facing up to the filthy mirror. "Look at us..." he said softly, placing a hand on Rin's damp, heaving chest. His tone grew dark, "To think I thought that we'd made such a lovely couple...but you had to be selfish...you had to be greedy."

The boy eased off of the slab and made his way to the far wall, where a collection of different instruments hung. He had used them before, and was unsure if he had something good enough for his princess, but he had a plethora of ideas he wanted to try tonight, and every last knife to the very last saw played a part.

His first weapon of choice was a basic hammer, made out of iron that had long since began to rust. Its head was breaking, and falling off in some parts, the handle worn from years of doling out punishment.

Not enough to kill, but surely enough to hurt, and that was all he wanted.

For now.

Rin watched him warily, becoming even more self-conscious at the fact that she was once again naked in front of someone. As the boy returned to his place at the foot of the slab, the hammer resting casually on her delicate shoulder as he ran it down to her leg.

"Have you ever played whack-a-mole before Rin?" Masayuki commented casually, and Rin briefly wondered if the boy, in his state, had completely lost whatever was left of his his mind.

"Mayu told me all about it." Masayuki took a stance, his legs spread shoulder width apart, and he tapped the hammer against the stone slab like a child would do. "It's a bit boring sometimes, you have to wait for these stupid moles to stick their head out, but as soon as one pops out you slam down the hammer."

On his word, Masayuki swung the hammer with down with speed, hitting the girl's foot with enough force to break it at the ankle. Rin released a blood curdling scream, to which Masayuki only chuckled.

"You always did make the most beautiful noises." He said simply, before going to slam down on the other foot. The screams finally died down into sobs, and Masayuki threw his hammer off to the side it hitting the ground with a loud slam.

"Masayuki, please! I swear, I'll do whatever you want! J-Just stop...let me go!" Rin pleaded, choking down the bile that was threatening to rise in her throat from the pain, and the almost immediate feeling of needing to piss herself.

Pitiable girl, it was only going to get worse.

Masayuki cocked his head to the side, a deceptively charming smile gracing his lips. "Oh, I know you will." he replied. "And in that case I have a request."

She shakily nodded and tried her best to keep whatever bearings she had left.

"A-Anything you want...what do you want?"

He leaned down moved close to the blonde's ear and whispered is a disturbingly seductive voice.

"Scream lots and lots before you die okay?"

That sent Rin into a frenzy as she began crying out to anyone who would listen.

"Len! Mikuo! God someone help me!"

He paused hearing that name...it only made him angrier but he wouldn't let it show.

Masayuki looked almost gleeful and stepped away from the table, and walked to somewhere out of sight.

She shut her eyes and begged, "Let this all be a dream! Some terrible nightmare. I'll wake up and hug Len, I'll hang out with Miku, and all if this will be gone..."

Then suddenly she felt something against her. Something cold. She opened her eyes and looked out the corner of her eyes.

Her younger brother Len.

She would've bolted up had she not been tied down.

"Len! Thank god...help me! Please! I-"

She stopped giving him another look.

It was Len, which was apparent. But something was terribly wrong. His eyes, were clouded over much like one would see on a dead fish.

"L-Len...?"

Tears began clouding her vision again, this couldn't be real. Sure Len died in songs and videos but Len never really died. Never.

"Isn't he quiet now?"

He gaze shifted back to her captor who at some point had sat beside her on the slab once more.

"You're not mad are you? Seriously are you mad? I took care of Len. He was a fighter, he couldn't or rather wouldn't stay quiet. He put up a big fight but...he lost the game just like the others. Maybe you'll last longer huh?"

And with that she lost all her hope. Even if she managed to make it out of here, what then? Len was dead. There was no cut. No wrap. This was real.

"I liked Len too, such a charmer when he's not off playing Spice ne?" His gaze shifted to the crying girl beside him and ran a finger down her cheek.

"You were always my favorite though even now...so I'll try to make it as painful as possible for you."

Rin, having lost it now could only scream.

"WHY NOT JUST GET IT OVER WITH?!"

Her tear streaked face was almost too much for him to bear.

Masayuki's tone didn't change at all though. He still remained calm.

"Love is a lot more stimulating when it's painful, and I want you to feel how much I love you. Pleasure and pain go hand in hand. As do love and death. Hate as well fits into the equation. I figure if you don't appreciate how much I love you, or rather how much I've come to hate you... death is the only reasonable punishment."

A familiar clink sound hit her ears again as he ran the knife up the slab.

And instantaneously the fear returned to the elder Kagamine as did her tears. She didn't want to die after all.

"Relax, my love," Masayuki cooed, "It will only get better. After all," Cold peridot yellows turned their attention back to the task at hand. "I'm only getting started."

"Please...don't do this! If I die what good am I to you?! Punishments are supposed to teach people. If I die I'm not learning anything!"

Masayuki or rather what was left of him hadn't heard her plea. Or anything for that matter. With the tip of the knife in her hand he dug it into her abdomen cause her to bleed almost immediately and a sharp gasp of pain to hit his ears which only edged his on further, and he began quite literally to slice her to ribbons. Blood splattering his face and clothes and her deafening screams begins to make him groan in ecstasy, he was a sadist at heart after all.

He regained control after a moment, he had done some damage, not enough to kill her, just enough to cause her excruciating pain.

She was screaming herself raw at this point hoping someone anyone could hear her.

"Be quiet!"

The screaming only continued and it was getting louder.

And with the sound of shattering teeth it died down, as Masayuki in his own psychotic fit slammed the hammer down across her mouth. Breaking her front row of teeth which lead to her mouth beginning to fill with blood. It dripped out her open maw, it would seem he broke her jaw as well.

The beautiful Rin Kagamine reduced to this bludgeoned shell.

As she faded from consciousness she could've sworn she saw a tear, steadily rolling down her assailant's cheek.

_"Ne ne Rin, tomorrow let's go bother Kaito! It'll be fun, we can even bring him that ice cream he loves so much!"_

_"Yeah! It'll be fun Len!"_

_"I'll meet you at home then?"_

_"Yeah I'll be back at the house in an hour."_

_An hour._

_She remembered walking home, and seeing the blood outside the doorway, she remembered seeing it on the stairs and then everything went black._

Maybe an hour or so later Rin woke back up with a jolt, her entire body was numb, but her head was free. Her vision cleared for a moment just enough to see the newest weapon in his hand. A machete in the style of Mayu's axe with even a bow tied to the handle in his left hand, with a steady amount of crimson flowing down the blade and a syringe in the other and the look of the utmost pity on Masayuki's face.

"Don't go...just yet. I'm not done yet...Rin."

He rested his head against her hand.

Her hand.

Which by all laws shouldn't be where he was. She couldn't stretch that far and she was tied down. So how...?

Her eyes scanned lower only to see the horrific truth.

Her hand was severed.

He had cut off her hand or rather her entire lower arm.

She looked to him for some sort of explanation for this. Anything.

He rubbed his cheek against her palm and smiled.

"Insanely enough I loved you, it flows incessantly...this fresh red blood. Now tell me why are you crying so much?"

He lapped at the blood on the handle all the while keeping steady eye contact with her as he performed this depraved act.

She remembered those lyrics from a song she heard Mayu sing. Ellie.

Rin gazed at her herself again the dirty mirror.

Looking at every cut and bruise that lined her body that he delivered to her unconscious form. She couldn't feel it buy her ribs with broken, as he had a tantrum when she fell unconscious. She gazed at her brother's dead body in the corner and mumbled a sorry. Maybe had she gone home with him...just maybe he'd be alive?

She felt something hit her in the chest. But she was too drugged up to react.

She could only watch herself die at this point.

And at this point she would welcome it.

And almost like he could read her mind he had gotten bored.

He walked over with the machete scraping against the floor behind him.

He placed the machete at her neck. Yellow met blue, heaven met hell. And with foul swoop, Rin felt his lips against hers and the blade pierced her flesh. As she lost consciousness for the last time. There was no white light, no last words. Only agony, regrets and despair before she drifted off into eternal rest. The killing blow being a literal kiss of death.

Next to the slab, he kept a pail, something from when he was very little, filled to the brim with kerosene. The boy doused the body with it, before taking a match from his pocket, lit it, and tossed it onto the body, embracing the heat as the girl along with her twin went up in flames.

"A cleansing fire, all for me."

She betrayed him.

She burned in fire.

And now he was set free.

Even if it had all been in his head.

Masayuki gazed at her one last time before climbing the steps out of the basement and back into his home. He cleaned the blood from his hands and face. He changed his clothes and sat it the eerily quiet house. He go about things just as he always did.

After all...Rin was only the beginning.

_For nothing_

_For selfishness_

_...in a_

_Perfect world_

_I would get_

_My wish._

**Well there. My demented rambling is over. If you guys want a chapter two...Miku might be next. XD And for those who didn't know Masayuki is the fanloid genderbend of MAYU. I know he has many other fan names but I like this one. And his personality is canon here for my sake. **


	2. Chapter 2

Woo, chapter two as promised! Can I have a cookie now? No? -.- Aww. This chapter has some stuff so there.

Crescendo High Murders Chapter Two: Deep Sea Boy

"Rin and Len Kagamine were declared missing as of yesterday. There are signs of a struggle but no leads as of yet. If anyone has any leads they are urged to call the police..."

The t.v droned on in the lobby of Crescendo High while everyone huddled around the t.v going on about what they thought happened. This had become the norm for school now. The Kagamines had been missing for quite some time and it had the entire school reeling.

They were of course wrong, but the culprit didn't care as he slowly moved past them, a demented grin on his face as he held the locket around his neck. A locket that held the ashes of all if any physical evidence that the Kagamine twins even existed.

Surely you'll see me now right?

Mikuo Hatsune was having what one may call the "singular worst day in his life or rather the singular worst month of his life". He hadn't slept a wink and so the teal haired boy had very bags under his eyes and he an unbearable heat all over his body. All because of one phone call.

Yesterday he parted ways with Rin a few weeks ago, as they lived in the same neighborhood and always walked home together until they got to Eighth Avenue, which is where the pair split and went their separate ways. Rin had begged him to walk with her just a bit more but he declined. She waved her goodbye as did he and they both walked home She had on the most adorable skirt today, it was burgundy with yellow trim. Every once and awhile, the skirt would lift somewhat and he would catch a glimpse of her panties. They weren't anything spectacular or moe or anything. They were just typical white panties, it was in particular that they were her panties that made them appealing. His eyes remained fixed on her until she was too far away to admire anymore. That's when the unbearable heat in his loins began. Mikuo was never really embarrassed about this until he realized how frequently it happened. He pushed it to the back of his mind. Assuming he would get his chance one day, and it was worth waiting for.

Little did he know that would've been the last walk they would share.

Mikuo headed in his house and went about the rest of his day. He did his homework, he helped his sister with whatever new song she needed to sing, and finally he would end the day with a movie. Yesterday was a rare day when he didn't hear from Masayuki after school which a truly rare occurrence. In fact Masayuki seemed to be slightly irritated in general with him today actually walking home by himself today. He figured he was in a mood and decided it'd be best he didn't get involved.

So he decided to make himself busy for the night, and buy busy it meant he'd probably watch a few dirty movies. The one playing on his screen right now was hot enough, already showing a girl getting ravaged, her voice dripping in ecstasy. It was just a coincidence that the girl resembled his beloved girlfriend, all the way down to her flat chest. He got a kick out watching just how far people would go to get someone else to get off, and since, well, he was in a completely sexless relationship at the moment. His current girlfriend, Rin Kagamine was a virgin, and she intended to stay one for quite some time. She was the first to deny him the one thing he assumed was important in a relationship, but he genuinely wanted more than just reaming her petite body against a wall every night, so he respected her wish and relied sadly on his hand, something he was a bit embarrassed that he had to result to and he really had no other way to relieve his stress. Usually he'd have his favorite maid help him out but she seemed to be very abrasive towards him ever since he began dating Rin. He was in the dark about why though since she was pretty clear on not being in a relationship with him anyway but that was besides the point she had rather regretfully replaced with erotic films for the time being. It never really mattered what he watched, he had no particular fetish in fact, as long as it entertained him long enough and his door remained locked and kept his family from messing with him, he'd watch anything happen to anyone.

He had gotten pretty worked up by now. He hadn't bothered undressing he merely undid his zipper and went to work. This probably wasn't the best idea but somehow being retrained by his clothes made the experience better. Hot, sweaty, his hair beginning to get matted against his pillow, his shirt beginning to tighten as he struggled to keep his composure, his majesty turning a bit purple aching for release. Exasperated groans escaping his mouth, moans of Rin's name, ultimately he was begging her for release, and he was getting far too loud, drowning out the debaucherous action playing before him. It as wasted on him now, his head filled with the idea of yellow panties and all the things he could do, and damn well would do if he got his hands on a pair of them. The idea of his made him bite down on his lip, in a hurried attempt to hush himself. He would absolutely die if anyone heard him especially his damn sister, she'd never let him live it down. A sharp spasm hit him, making him arch his back shamelessly so, and the twitching, the unbearable twitching had began. Signs that he was about to finish. He propped himself up against his headboard, his grip tightening around his member, it had gotten slick now, wet with sweat and precum. The sensation was unbearable, somewhere in between feeling to good to stop and feeling to embarrassing to continue he just couldn't hold on any longer, This was just one second until he reached his peak. Just one more...

Bzzz…

His phone was buzzing, and he wanted to ignore it. Who ever it was could wait. He wasn't going to stop for anything right now.

Bzz...Bzz..

It went silent and then he heard a small ping.

A text message apparently.

The more he ignored the more it seemed to vibrate annoyingly so, jerked up from the bed, throbbing and annoyed, the sound was distracting and frankly it-

Another sharp sensation hit him, he was so close that it seemed that a slight wind might set him off.

He picked up his phone from his desk and read the message.

"Do you know what part of MY Princess I like the most?"

He blinked, perhaps the sender had the wrong number. Plus just in general who sends shit like that?

His fingers clicked over the buttons quickly. Anything to get back to destressing himself. He didn't like the word masturbation as childish and ridiculous as it sounded.

"Sorry, I believe you have the wrong number."

"Mikuo, what part of her do you like best?"

His skin was beginning to crawl. Who the hell was this? And sadly as a result he lost his hard on. It sank down quicker than a rock in a pond.

"Part of whom?"

"Rin."

He froze and set his phone down.

He didn't know who's number this was. It was marked private, but whoever it was...but they obviously knew who he was and who Rin was. The logical thing to do was to stop replying or inform his parents or something but he could not for the life of him do either of those things.

"My favorite part would happen to be those soft hands of hers, wouldn't you agree? Though I'm sure a Prince such as yourself has a different view right?"

He hesitated, his heart racing, but he hit call. He needed to know who this was. He had to know who was playing this cruel joke on him. It must have been a joke, he had worse jokes pulled on him before after all.

It rang and rang each second passing was suffocating Mikuo. If this person didn't pick up he'd scream. He'd lose his mind from the mystery of it all.

It clicked and he heard a small shuffle, then silence. Complete silence.

"H-Hello...?"

"Don't go...just yet Rin..."

What followed was brief sound of confusion and pain.

"Insanely enough I loved you, it flows incessantly this fresh red blood...now tell me why are you crying this much?"

A sound of something slicing and the line clicked.

"Mikuo?! Ne ne, if you're going to space out then at least don't stand in the middle of the hallway!"

Mikuo snapped out of his brief nightmare to see his best friend, with his arms crossed with a particularly goofy grin on his face almost as bright as the tips of his hair.

Masayuki.

They had been friends for awhile now, but he could never recall his last name or even if he had one, but that's besides the point.

"Ne ne, are you okay? I heard about what happened to Rin...um...I know it must hard dealing with it...losing your girlfriend and all..."

"You don't have to call her my girlfriend, she was your friend too."

"Not really, I knew her through you after all~"

Mikuo wanted to bring up the call from that night, he needed some comfort after all, but it was too painful to recall, that maybe just maybe had he walked her home she'd be in his arms right now.

"Are you okay Mikuo?"

"I'm fine, I just...I'm fine drop it."

"But Mikuo you-"

"I said drop it Masayuki."

Masayuki said it again, as he was earnestly attempting to make his friend feel better. "You're lying you're not fine, not fine at all! If you don't say anything you'll end up doing something unforgivable...I know how you feel-"

Mikuo however snapped. Today was not the day. The pressure had built to the breaking point and exploded and Masayuki just so happened to be the blast radius.

"And what would you know about ANYTHING?! You have absolutely no idea how I feel or what I'm going through! You never will, you didn't even have the guts to tell Rin you liked her!"

Mikuo managed to stop after he said that. He had said a bit too much. He expected Masayuki to cry or something like he usually did, but he didn't.

Masayuki only mumbled "You're right…someone like me obviously has no idea what it feels like to lose someone I love..." and turned to leave.

While Mikuo did want him to go away he did manage a barely audible "Wait, Masayuki I didn't mean that-".

Masayuki stopped as he usually would, but he in every way he looked pissed by his words.

"You did mean it, you wouldn't have said it otherwise."

The look on his face remained though it seemed more intense than it was before but the look faded after a moment like he had confirmed something crucial.

"You know...if you aren't careful, you'll drown in all your lies."

"Eh?"

"Drown."

Masayuki seeing that he probably needed to be by himself at the moment turned or rather he was too angry to stay near him, but regardless he left, waving goodbye and though it wasn't clear, Mikuo could've sworn he saw him with the faintest of smirks on his lips, like maybe just maybe he was mocking him. Though he quickly dropped the thought, Masayuki didn't even know how to be sarcastic, let alone mock someone, though he had certainly learned how to be a bit clearer with his anger.

But what did he mean by drown in his lies?

* * *

Mikuo sat there, wallowing in his own grief even after the bell rang for first period. He just decided to sit in the library in the one of the bean bag chairs, though specifically it was the one Rin always used when reading. The one when he'd rest his head in her lap and distract her from whatever she was doing important or not. He had sat in it with her the day she disappeared, she was reading a book he couldn't quite recall the title of but he remembered her soft voice as she read it to him. It was one of those rare times where the librarian wasn't in and it was just the two of them alone so he always had some type of mischief planned. He recalled the way he would stare into her soft blue eyes as she tried to avert her gaze her cheeks turning a none too subtle shade of red. She told him to staring at her like that and he replied "I could always stare somewhere else..." Rin would then go to bop him over the head with her book or in some cases she'd slap him but Mikuo never really minded, love made him pretty much immune to pain or pain caused by Rin in general. He remembered leaning up, the distance between them getting smaller. As he lips nearly met hers, he felt a hand tuck itself under his collar and brutally tug him backwards and a very familiar high pitched voice hit his ears.

"Mikuo-kun!"

Somewhat dazed he lifted his head and was greeted by his disheveled looking friend Masayuki. He was out of breath, his eyes were red as he had just finished crying and his uniform was unkempt. Though since this wasn't too rare of an occurrence Mikuo didn't look too concerned, Rin however was the exact opposite. She sat up and began asking him every question in the book from "Are you okay?" to "Did someone hit you?" She went to touch him but Masayuki backed away and shook his head looking at her as she as dirty and quietly asked to speak with Mikuo alone. Much to Rin's dismay Mikuo nodded and followed Masayuki to the far side of the library.

"M-Mikuo-kun can I ask you something?"

Mikuo nodded hoping that whatever was bothering the clingy boy was trivial enough to be solved quickly.

"Yeah yeah. What's wrong?"

Masayuki looked down and kept his gaze tethered to the floor. He placed his hands behind his back and rocked forward a bit he did this a few times before he spoke.

"M-Mikuo-kun...who's the most important person in your life?"

Mikuo paused wondering what would make Masayuki ask him such a thing, though he seemed very intent on getting an answer looking increasingly more twitchy the longer he said nothing.

"I'd have to say...Rin, she is my girlfriend after all. Next of course is you. Why?"

Masayuki stared at him, he looked very upset with his answer in fact tears began welling up in eyes, but before a single tear could drop he shook his head and smiled.

"Okay...I'm glad then...I know what to do know okay? Forgive me for intruding on you and Miss Rin okay?"

And before he could reply Masayuki sped out the library. Though he didn't think too much on it he just wanted to spend more time with Rin before they inevitably had to walk home. Sadly Mikuo wasn't allowed to go inside the Kagamine Household, apparently the two's mothers had an abnormal hatred for one another so this was the only time they could spend together...the last time they probably would spend time together.

He remembered it all so clearly and the mere thought that he'd never see that smile or hear that voice again was enough to bring him to tears. Each one burning as they rolled down his cheeks, because deep down he felt that whatever pain Rin was suffering though was his fault. Somehow someway he caused this.

It was a moment before he found himself able to calm down, but the moment he did so he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Without hesitation he pulled it out, figuring Masayuki was just texting him smiley faces and cat pictures to cheer him up like he always did.

He flipped the phone up and nearly screamed at what he saw.

It indeed was a picture, but from an anonymous number much like call from the previous night.

But the picture itself was whole other story.

It was a picture of Rin, restrained to some table, with many bruises defiling her perfect skin, one of her arms crudely chopped off so that jagged parts of bone jutted out from the wounded flesh, blood precariously dripping down the table. Rin herself was either unconscious or...dead.

It took all the young boy had not to scream or even vomit at the sight.

His phone would only buzz a second time with a message. One the sender was certain he'd follow.

Mikuo Hatsune, if you want Rin back, you will meet me at Marina exactly at midnight, if you fail to comply or get the police involved. Rin will be dead within the hour. I'm watching you just like always my precious blue Prince.

* * *

Masayuki approached his locker turning the lock back and forth quickly back and forth, the symphony of Rin's screams filling his head making him rock back and forth in ecstasy. His whole body twitching in delight as he began turning the knob faster it almost in tune with his racing heartbeat and hormones, faster until with a none too subtle pop before it broke off. He would sigh before placing his bag down and shifting around it's contents. Just a few books, his homework, and a small red sachet. A sachet that contained the one thing he saved from the night before. His tormentor's hand. He went through all the trouble of cutting it off so he didn't feel the need to burn it. It was such a pretty one after all and her hand had so many fun uses after all.

No one was in the hall at this time, he was only here because he was ditching first period.

So a small peek wouldn't hurt...would it?

His delicate fingers traced over bag with a shudder, it merely gave him a thrill to have it with him. One wrong move and he would be exposed and everyone would see him as the monster he was, but he didn't care. No one mattered besides Mikuo in his eyes anymore.

Rin however was a beauty worthy of disgrace, the only one who deserved the death he so righteously delivered. Though in actuality he had only done it to preserve something very important. While he had been in love with Rin at one time, he found he loved Mikuo more, and she was threatening that love by always having his attention.

He tugged at the string and let it open the decaying scent hitting his nose bringing the lovely memories back once more. Masayuki nearly forgot where he was and took the hand out the bag and brought it to his lips.

He probably would've done much more to if hadn't been interrupted by a small sound.

A small gasp.

His eyes darted to the left and to the right, until he locked in on the source of the sound.

Mikuo was looking at his phone with a terrified look, that was slowly becoming one of disgust. And he was walking this way.

Masayuki simply placed the hand back in it's new home and grinned. The look was all he needed to know that he had received his message. But Masayuki craved a scream, what Mikuo had said earlier was completely untrue. Masayuki knew what it felt like to lose someone you loved, in fact he had experienced it twice. If he could get over it, Mikuo should've been able to do so as well, But that's besides the point. Surely Mikuo would freak out right?

How would he react?

Would he hit him just to someone release a bit of tension?

Scream?

Or had he seen the hand?

Would he try to grab his bag and reveal the truth?

Maybe all of the above?

Well sadly he wouldn't find out.

The bell rang and the hall soon filled with people heading to class. So he grabbed his things and continued through the hall.

The rest of day was pretty uneventful.

Masayuki spent most of it daydreaming and enjoying the sickening look on Mikuo's face.

As the day ended and everyone was packing up or either heading to their clubs, Masayuki was headed out the door, or at least he was trying to.

As anyone here knew, Mayu was his dearly beloved sister. And at this moment his dear sister was latched onto his arm cooing.

His sister was one of the few people who didn't annoy him much. But that didn't account for now. Right now she was being a pest. He wanted some private time with his ill gotten hand and if she kept him here a second longer he'd scream. She was praising his cover of Caramel Sugar he had done for his project. It slightly tugged at him that Rin would never be able to hear it. But his voice somehow sounded sweeter today...much better than it had sounded before. It was rather odd in essence to him but he didn't have much time to wonder about it.

"Mayu-chan...could you give Masayuki and I some privacy we need to talk."

Mikuo had wandered back into the picture right on cue.

Mayu didn't let go, but Masayuki managed to shoo her off so he could deal with the problem at hand.

"What can I help you with Mikuo?"

"I need your help..."

The teal haired boy stood silent by door, but he was shaking, mostly in fear and a bit of anger.

It was a delightful sight, but Masayuki had things to do, and he wasn't very patient.

"I might, what could you be speaking of?"

"I'm meeting the sick bastard that kidnapped Rin tonight, and I need someone I can trust to come along with me."

The corner of Masayuki's mouth twitched a smirk threatening to appear, but be remained calm.

"Of course anything for you my dear Mi-kuo-kun."

* * *

It was just a quarter until midnight and Masayuki was outside waiting for Mikuo, clad in his cream colored wool cap, which had kitten ears on it. This was the only bright thing about his ensemble, which was black from his jacket to his shoes. He had a small backpack on, which was filled with all the tools he needed tonight. It was all going to end tonight.

"Masa! I'm here, let's go!"

The yandeloid faced his "friend" and began following him through the backwoods towards the marina.

While Masayuki was calm seemingly elsewhere, Mikuo was the exact opposite however. His palms were shaking, his head was aching, and his vision was beginning to blur with tears. Never had the teal haired boy felt such emotion. Not ever.

He had really loved Rin, and would simply never forgive anyone who hurt her.

As they got closer and closer to the old Marina, which even from a distance even in the darkness of the night one could tell it was falling apart.

"It's a pretty dilapidated place huh Masa?"

"Mikuo-kun?"

He turned his head back towards his friend only to jump realizing how close he was, in fact he was only a few inches behind him.

"Mikuo-kun? Can I ask you something?"

He had that trademark grin on his face that honestly disturbed Mikuo at the moment.

"Y-Yeah...? Go ahead."

And in that moment he began to feel dizzy...very dizzy. Colors were blending, the sounds were blending, everything slurring together until it all began fading into black the moment he felt something soft placed against his face.

"Does this smell like chloroform to you?"

The voice was muffled and seemingly far away. It almost sounded... playful?

The interior of the massive steel and glass chamber was cold and desolate with a chilling factor of isolation…it had the overwhelming capacity of thousands of gallons of water as it had been before as a case for fish at one point, and one particularly unfortunate individual had somehow been concealed within this seamless prison of misery.

Mikuo Hatsune.

With every cry…every movement…even every breath, there was a helpless echo of sound waves ricocheting from the smooth surface within his mysterious captivation. He appeared to be located within a perfectly spherical structure— not a single rivet or line of welding…there was only a grated drain at the base's center.

But it did not drain… there was nothing to drain, for the chamber contained absolutely nothing with

the exception of its prisoner and his deteriorating sanity. He suddenly had no memory of how he got here. He was with Masayuki and then...

Wait Masayuki.

"Hello? Masayuki!? Is anybody there?"

Mikuo pressed his lips against the grated drain, "Hello?!" but only received his own answer as a reply whilst hearing the multiplying "hellos" echo down the drain. His screaming had brought his throat additional pain as it accompanied the unquenched feeling of dryness within the back of his tongue. He was unbelievably thirsty, not a true thirst for water but a thirst brought on by fear.

How long had he been in this blasted cage? Logically it couldn't have been that long, it still seemed very late at night from what he could see, but how exactly had he gotten here? And where was Masayuki?

He didn't have long to figure it out, as his thoughts were interrupted by a sound.

Water?

And then a rushing sound of flowing liquid had become apparent—it came from the drain and Mikuo was confronted with a fountain of water as the grating was doused with the substance that began to fill the chamber. The geyser of water was a yard in length as the vertical structure pelted the poor boy square in his face—he was uncertain as to whether his thoughts were of relief or trepidation. After all it was just water.

But Mikuo's mind had soon become apparent of his current situation: stranded within an enclosed chamber of which contained no lines of communication or means of a possible escape, rapidly filling with water. He now began to panic— the sweat from his ravenous nervousness was matched only by the icy water of which soaked his head with its spouting as it brought chills and shivers with the liquid culprit already occupying its freezing ripples a few inches above his ankles.

Mikuo desperately looked around as he gasped "No-no-no-no fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck!" Superior to thinking that somehow he may survive this torturous swimming pool, his mentality was primarily recalling what is considered the worst way to die… drown—No! He wasn't going to drown! He wasn't going to die.

"Mikuo? How is it? I hope the water was a cold enough greeting for you."

Mikuo's head jerked to the left, even though the water he could recognize the somewhat sadistic silkiness of that voice anywhere.

"Masayuki?! Is that you?!"

And from the shadows emerged the rainbow haired devil himself.

He head cocked to the side his expression one of pure amusement.

As far as Mikuo knew, his best friend, yes his best friend had come to save him from whatever he was currently being held captive in.

But all as it was coming to light, he remebered the spinning dizziness from before. Masayuki was the one who did it, and by how Masayuki only stood there more than happy to watch as the water level in Mikuo's cage continued rise that he was no savior.

But this was helpless Masayuki he was talking about. The boy could barely walk straight, let alone hurt anyone right?

So all he managed to say was, "Masa, help! I can't find a way out!"

"Ne ne, there's a way out, just look around."

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

There was absolutely nothing of which may have revealed an escape…except for the drain…the grilled gateway of the water and its flowing impact of freezing touch.

Like a light bulb had finally gone off, Mikuo obeyed his instincts and intuition as he strategically knelt with his face in avoidance of the water and gripped the metal grill of the drain.

But Mikuo neglected to actually think—the grill was bolted to the steel and reinforced with a taunting mock of captivity…like Masayuki had intended. It was perhaps thirty-six square inches, and his waistline alone was thirty-two. And the water—it still continued to pump into the chamber, probably with enough force to refrain any possibility to journey in its opposing direction.

But if he had successfully detached the grill…if he had managed to force

his physicality into the drain of damnation…if he had a miraculous alliance with gravity to progress down the drain and against the water…

His wishful thinking could only migrate through the skies of hope and faith for so long. Logically, the entire drain would have already been filled with the water, and Mikuo would be forced into a stationary confinement as the narrowed drain disallowed his chest of expansion.

But it's not like he needed to breathe—he would have already drowned.

Masayuki admired his effort though, had he not intended for Mikuo to drown he might have told him that the glass around him was fairly weak. One good placed punch or kick and it would shatter...but that would ruin the game.

And games aren't fun when the other player knows everything.

Just like in the game of chess you skillfully manipulate and deceive your pawns and survive. Even if the bodies pile up and you have nothing in the end.

As long as Masayuki got what he wanted, he didn't care who had to die in the process. This was what he wanted right? To get rid of the two who drove him into insanity like this. Getting rid of Rin had simply not been enough. Mikuo would still love her. Think of her. And in the end still belong to her. So Mikuo had to die as well. If anything he was doing the right thing by sending him to be with her if that's truly all he wanted.

So he watched as the water slowly but surely filling with water.

He just wanted to watch him experience the same pain he had felt over the past few months.

And now it was his time.

There was less than an inch that separated the steel ceiling and the surface of the water. Mikuo made a final repel above the water and inhaled his last breath of air, simultaneously

becoming submerged within the water as every cubic inch of oxygen had been obliterated and became nonexistent.

He tried to think about his last thoughts… but he couldn't remember. He did not desire to know how he had become involved in this situation; instead, he wanted to know if this was it, would he see Rin in the next life.

Mikuo was sealed underwater for less than a minute before the bright lights within the back of his eyes began to develop. He thought it could have been Heaven… but then he remembered that Heaven isn't supposed to hurt so fucking much. It was a painful deprivation of oxygen as his brain pounded the walls of his skull, for someone who was mainly advanced robotics his body was experiencing the most human pain possible.

His vision continued to convert itself into blooming and swirling stars of sparkling white and then he took a breath. It was the deepest breath that he had ever taken… but it was a breath of pure water. The last of his bubbles had evacuated his body as the water began to enter through his final scream of pain. A scream that made Masayuki quiver in absolute delight. It made him moan out in ecstasy. Mikuo himself always sounded amazing no matter what condition he was in. Pain however was just delightful.

His chest began to choke as his lungs began to fill with the water… and he was suddenly even colder than before…colder than he had ever been.

The stars had consumed his entire field of vision and it was as if his chest was attempting to explode. The water had entirely occupied his cardiovascular system and the pressure was brutal and violent as final convulsion made a failing effort to obtain one… last… breath.

…but Mikuo's throat had only become occupied with the water if filling every part of his lungs, painfully making them swell even more.

He heard a familiar beep in his ear, emergency shutdown.

The last thing Mikuo heard before he left this world was a very condescending farewell.

"I told you if you weren't careful...you'd drown in all your lies."

It had been a few hours now, Mikuo floated in silence, seemingly in silence. Masayuki however was anything but quiet, in fact he was an emotional wreck. He had loved, he still loved everything about Mikuo, why did he think what he had done just now was necessary?

He continued to repeat it over and over:

I love you.

I love you.

I love you Mikuo Hatsune.

Why couldn't Mikuo understand that...why couldn't he?

He placed his hand on the glass, shaking repeating it over and over.

I love you...


	3. Chapter 3

**Alrighty the moment you've all been waiting for. BACKSTORY MOFO. XD**

**The Crescendo High Murders Chapter Three: Aishiteru**

_Love._

_I loved Rin Kagamine._

_Love.._

_I loved Mikuo Hatsune._

_Love…_

I was crying.

I've always had this voice in my head. Telling me to do terrible things. Horrible things. Some days it was loud, screaming at me. Some days it was a quiet could whisper. I could usually ignore these thoughts as long as I had him. Mikuo Hatsune. He was my best friend, my only friend really. We basically did everything together. As long as I had Mikuo the voice had no power over me. When Mikuo was here the voice could say whatever it wanted, my ears never registered anything but Mikuo at those time. But things...changed for the both of us.

I'm not a confident boy. I've always been fragile and weak and a bit of a crybaby which why I needed him. I needed someone to make me feel safe. Happy. Someone to push me. Mikuo was that person, who for some reason took a liking to me. I never understood why he liked me, most of the time I thought it was because I was like a lackey for him. I never had any qualms with anything he asked me to do regardless of how unnecessary it was. But that all changed really. Perhaps our friendship was merely based on my submissiveness and earnest want to satisfy him.

I was crying.

I was crying because like I said I'm a crybaby by all standards...not because crying solved anything but it was really the only coping mechanism I had developed. My sister often said I would drown in my own tears one day, Mikuo called me a baby, Rin said my childish demeanor was precious (I had been eavesdropping on one of her conversations), but I preferred it that way, I enjoyed being the baby really, I enjoyed the coddling and the snuggling that came with that name until today.

I was crying.

You see for quite some time I've been after the attention of the most amazingly beautiful girl in school. Rin Kagamine. She was a goddess in her own right, though if you asked me no one was as beautiful or even remotely came close to her. I knew everything about her to the tiniest detail. The length of her hair to her exact measurements (and a few other things I can't say). Though I wished to be friends with her..we were acquaintances at most seeing as any attempt to talk to her directly ended up going badly as I ended losing all grasp on any language when she was around and most of it came out in stuttered mess (though she said briefly my stuttering was cute) or I froze up and couldn't speak at all. Though sadly more often than not it ended with his classmates teasing him and spending the rest of the period crying about it. Mikuo though was the exact opposite. He was confident in everything just as his sister was. Mikuo was handsome, rich, and a prodigy with music and sports frankly speaking he was perfection down to the last hair on his head. That confidence on the other hand was what led to this. You see after hearing me gush about Rin's perfection from everything from breathing to just existing he gained a slight crush on her and ended with him asking her out. I hadn't witnessed the action but people all over school were talking about it, the King had found his Princess, and well that just made me a Joker didn't it? I refused to believe Mikuo would ever do something so underhanded, not my Mikuo. Irregardless I still wanted to see if it was true. My attempt at confrontation with him didn't go well.

I was crying.

"M-Mikuo-kun...can we talk?"

Mikuo turned his teal bangs falling over his eyes in the same perfect way they always did as he turned from his homework, leaning back on his chair the front two legs lifting off the ground just a bit. He focused on me immediately his eyes meeting mine directly which unnerved me a lot. It's like he knew what was wrong and was daring me to say something. Who was I to question someone as perfect as him about anything he did ever? It was like a pawn questioning a King. So I focused on the floor like the coward I was, am. Far too afraid to look into his eyes when I spoke, something I even had trouble doing on happier occasions. Mikuo always had an air of intimidation abou him, even at a young age he commanded respect from his peers and had no problem cutting someone down to size if they threatened or disturbed him in any way shape or form. I had never been on the opposing side of that, but it seems there was always a chance for everything.

"Masayuki?"

His stern tone shook me away from my thoughts. He didn't sound irritated as one would expect,he sounded worried. That made feel a bit calmer. After all this was Mikuo, he wouldn't do anything too mean to me.

"A-ah..um..you see...I"

Mikuo interrupted placing a hand on my forehead which caused my face to flush red in response. Once he deemed it wasn't a fever or anything he responded with "What's up? You look stressed...more so than usual."

"U-Um.." the words were once again tangled up hopelessly so after a string of absolute nonsense I finally managed out the sentence. My hair covered my eyes, my voice cracked but I managed out words.

"A-Are...you and...Rin-chan...are you two...are..."

"Dating? An item? A couple?" He replied ever so quickly knowing what I was really trying to say.

My face flushed red upon hearing those words. Hearing those words come his mouth made it sound so much more adult than it should have. Though he sounded more like he was mocking me.

"Y-Yes...are you?"

Mikuo tilted his head slightly to the left, his expression shifting to one more of pride and smugness, amused by my behavior.

"Yes, why?"

That familiar pressure was building up in my eyes and my stomach. I was going to cry again.

So it was true, Mikuo really had done what he feared most, but why? This isn't what friends did right? This isn't what Mikuo was supposed to do.

But I didn't want to, I didn't want to cry this pressure building up again but it wasn't grief like it usually was. This was an entirely different emotion. My face felt hot, I was sweating, shaking. For the first time in my life it was anger. I was angry and I unintentionally raised my voice from beyond a whisper.

"Y-You knew...YOU KNEW I LIKED HER AND-"

Mikuo stood up and let out a sigh and placed a finger against my lips.

"Yes I knew you liked her, but I like her to, so I asked her out. You and I both know you weren't going to ask her out like...ever. So I asked. If you really liked her you should have manned up."

By this time I had already started crying. Countless tears streaming down my face hopelessly. He was like always brutally honest to a T. But it never hurt this much.

He continued on though, he was always tough on me when I started crying.

"Besides...you're like a kid you know? You wouldn't know what to do even you did ask, you're too innocent for this stuff you know? I can't say she would've said yes if you asked because no one knows the answer to that."

And in that moment I hated that word.

"You know, I brought you up to Rin also...she didn't seem to know whom I speaking of...and..."

I tuned out. I felt like I might throw up my stomach dropped and honestly I wasn't ready for this new emotion I felt.

My body moved on it's own accord and in one swift movement my hand knocked his away and the other connected none too gently with the porcelain smooth skin of his. A loud smack resounding throughout his bedroom and he honestly looked shocked that I had even reacted in a violent manner at all or that I could anyway. He stumbled back a bit, making the chair completely tilt back making him hit the floor with another resounding smack. He grunted, never one to show pain, but he opened his mouth to speak, whether it had been yell or anything else I'd never know, as I was way ahead of him.

"I hate you...I hate you...I HATE YOU."

He managed to sit up, trying to stand, the blow to the head had him feeling dizzy but I had lost control, I raised my hand again and hit him once more, which made him collapse against his bed with a loud thump, knocking a few bright blue pillows to the floor. My hand hit him again twice, thrice, but Mikuo took each stinging blow though without defense. His cheek was beet red by the time I was able to calm down. I kept saying it though, "I HATE YOU." I didn't mean it, I really couldn't hate him. I could say it until I turned purple it still would have no meaning. He would most likely blow the whole thing off as a tantrum.

My hands gripping tightly to his shoulders, my tears falling onto his face that remained almost painfully indifferent.

We remained in a unreal silence, for a moment, a day, a year, what seemed like forever, but I couldn't stay silent so before he could say anything he was left alone, I was running out his room and down the stairs tears blinding my vision. All I could do or ever do was cry. The rest was textbook running away from the situation. I went home and cried my eyes out. The thing was I wasn't mad at Mikuo because as I saw it, again I was the pawn questioning a King. I always told myself that to prevent myself from doing anything hurtful to him.

I was crying.

About an hour or so I got a text from Mikuo, it wasn't an apology or anything, it only said:

_Did you make it home okay?_

I replied before I really knew I was replying:

_Yes._

Then turning my phone off.

He was making it really hard to stay mad.

That was the last time I spoke to him for three weeks. We awkwardly attempted talking things out several times but I would just cry and run off, it wasn't because I was mad at him or anything. I just didn't want to face him, I was embarrassed about how I reacted among other things.

I wasn't that I was even mad at him anymore it was simply because I couldn't let him know he was right. But there was an even bigger side effect to this. I wasn't really taking good care of myself. I still went to school and with the same smile on my face I always had, albeit it looked like a tired one. I hadn't been able to muster myself to eat lately. I often found myself at the small black dining table just outside the kitchen with my sister pushing my food around my plate. Despite her best efforts she could get me to eat it, but I couldn't keep it down, I would inevitably just throw it back up later. Last night Mayu had made a small dinner for the two of them. Mayu had been in the kitchen going back and forth about what to cook for about two hours before she started, debating on whether or not she should even cook at all for the most part.

She sat me down at the table telling, commanding me to stay put if I didn't want to wake up with a fork lodged in my trachea. This was a typical dumb Mayu threat I had grown used to as it seemed to be the only violent thing she was capable of attempting to probably do. I did as I was told watching her rainbow hair disappear around the corner. Besides the sound of her clanking around in the kitchen there was no other sound in the house besides the old grandfather clock in the hall with its repetitive ticking. I was always bothered by how quiet the house was when my mother wasn't home. She would leave for weeks or months at a time for business. Neither Mayu nor I managed to get her to say what this business was but it never seemed like anything we should worry about but I was constantly afraid that she wasn't coming back sometimes. With a resounding musical dong, I shook away from these thoughts, it's bad to eat with such horrible things on your mind right?

A hour or so passed before Mayu came back, in her arms a brown tray filled with identical bowls, plates, and cups. She placed one of each in front of me with a smile. Baked fish, miso soup, rice, natto (a soybean dish), and some hot tea. She had such a smug look on her face, gleeful to have been able to make something edible for once. It smelled lovely though and made my stomach growl, a good sign. We simultaneously clapped our hands together with a polite "itadakimasu" before beginning to eat.

I fumbled with my chopsticks for a moment something I even at my age struggled with using. I went to take a small bite of my rice when I found myself reminiscing again. About rice. Or in particular the first time I ate dinner with Mikuo a year or so ago.

I had been so nervous about meeting his family that I found it hard to maintain my composure. I had spent hours deciding what to wear, wondering what a rich family wore to dinner. Diamonds? Pearls? All of those things I saw but knowingly could never afford. I ended up deciding on something casual. A bright pink shirt with a small pocket on the left side, and some acid washed jeans, something Mikuo had dropped off at his house presumably his old hand-me-downs. Paired with my glasses that white and had a pink bow at the top I looked pretty cute by my standards, though I was a bit embarrassed that after two hours this was the best I could come up with. I just hoped I wouldn't be too out of place.

I was shaking before I came through door far too embarrassed to go home or ring the doorbell, but I ended up doing the latter. I rang the doorbell expecting for him to answer the door, but a maid answered it instead, inviting me in keeping her head down avoiding all eye contact with me. She was about 5'5 in height and surprisingly well filled out, though her bust seeming too big for her body, she had long bright pink hair held up in a ponytail and cat-like golden eyes. She dressed in typical maid attire, nothing fancy just a what appeared to be a short black dress with white frills on the bottom. Knee high white socks and black mary janes. What really caught my attention was a diamond necklace she had on, something that really looked out of place on a maid, but it seemed rude to question her about it. Other than the air of familiarity about her there was nothing else worth mentioning. She brought me into what I believed was the living room, enormous in stature lined with all designer furniture and a large television. She mumbled "make yourself at home," and then immediately excused herself. When she raised her head I could finally see her face. She had a very cute face and very plump lips. She seemed to be in a hurry though her expression was one of exhaustion. She seemed to be upset about something or frightened by something. She made eye contact with me before scurrying away. I assumed that from his invitation that'd I'd eating dinner with his family but the house seemed to be deserted besides myself and the help and Mikuo hadn't even shown up to greet me.

I waited around for about thirty minutes before the maid showed herself again. Though this time around she was limping somewhat, and her uniform was in disarray, her apron was crooked and her headband was hanging off her head. I stared at her picking up a slightly undetectable but unpleasant aroma from her as well.

"M-Master Mikuo would like to see you now…please follow me."

She didn't wait to see if I was following she just walked away rather bluntly as if I was taking to long, so I did my best to keep up with her in attempts to not get lost. Soon enough she led me to a door labeled simply "M" with a silver crown above before knocking softly. a moment or two passed before we heard the sound of the door unlocking, and a resounding "Come in."

She opened the door and resumed keeping her head leveled with the floor like she wasn't supposed to keep eye contact with Mikuo or her Master as she referred to him. She held the door open and waited for me to walk inside. It was oddly warm in Mikuo's room, steamy even, I was about to ask why, but the answer soon sauntered around the corner. Mikuo sauntered around the corner, obviously fresh from a shower, midway through getting dressed, a towel hanging dangerously low around his waist, luckily it seemed that he at least had some type of underwear on underneath it and was simply covering up, as no surprise I kept my eyes fixated to the wall behind him as his maid kept her head to the ground. Mikuo continued getting dressed, managing some pants and finally socks, but hadn't bothered saying "hello", giving off a vibe that he was in some type of mood and not a good one. Once he finished and I stopped burning imaginary holes into the wall behind him I noticed the slight glazed look in his eyes. His eyes were red as well, like when someone had been crying, though in his case that possibly couldn't be the only reason his eyes were red as Mikuo never cried. His pupils seemed to be dilated somewhat but perhaps that was just me overanalyzing him. He still didn't seem to notice that I was even in the room at least not verbally acknowledging me. He seemed entirely focused on his disheveled maid behind me. He seemed to be looking her over only to walk over and give her a unceremonious smack on her backside, it was enough to make her jump back against him, swat at him, and break her eye contact with the floorboards.

"M-Mikuo, what the hell! l- er.. I mean…" she continued to stumble over her words stuck somewhat between her own rage and proper maid decorum. Mikuo however was too amused by her expression, it was written all over his face. Her cheeks were red and her eyes narrowed in an even cattier fashion, she looked like a pissed alleycat in every way.

"Go clean yourself up, you're a mess Miss Nekomura." he leaned down and whispered something in her ear, he only rolled her eyes and fixed her headband and stomped away. That explained why she looked so familiar, Iroha Nekomura, was a girl who sat somewhat close to Mikuo in class, she never really interacted with anyone finding it much easier to ignore her fellow classmen, like a cat she seemingly hated anyone who didn't benefit her in some way. I never would have assumed she was a maid, nonetheless a maid for the Hatsune household. He only smirked briefly his expression turned somber again before he glanced at me asking "What exactly did you come over for again?"

I only responded with "What was that about?"

He glanced around a bit only mumbling that she had been helping him take care of a rather large stress knot. Which totally flew over my head at the time, but Mikuo was having some sordid Lifetime original relationship with Iroha at the time, neither party wanting it to go past the four walls of his bedroom one I was certain he was still involved in even with Rin on his arm.

Before he led me out he only said "Don't mention to anyone you saw her here...it's complicated."

Even afterwards Mikuo seemed to be in a sour mood. I learned that something had come up and his parents left early that day and wouldn't be back for quite some time. His sister, Miku, had well just blown him off. Mikuo explained it as "cliche rich family problems" seeing as no one's schedule seemed to sync up enough for any real quality time to occur. All in all he said it would just be the two of us tonight. The spread was impressive and was a bit too much for just two people to be eating, but Mikuo was in such a bad mood I found it impossible to say anything, or eat. He had such a sad look in his eyes and he pushed his food around his plate mixing it together until it look as unappetizing as school lunch. Mikuo had sat at the head of the table and I sat about four seats away feeling that he needed space though in hindsight I probably shouldn't have done that. I attempted eating picking up a small bowl of rice but I ended shaking too much and dropping the crystal bowl on the ground the result of course that it shattered. I attempted to clean it up, apologizing frantically, but Mikuo told me "Miss Nekomura will handle it" and not to worry. And as if on cue she sauntered around the corner, outfit in tact, and broom in hand. She shot me a dirty look, not bothering to lower her head this time around still steaming from earlier it seemed. She bent over sweeping up the small shards, her dress wasn't covering much but knowing Mikuo that was probably the intention, as his eyes remained firmly glued to her backside while mine remained glued at him with a faintly twitching brow. I never recalled Mikuo being ever displaying this behavior so openly before, though seeing as we were the only ones home I assumed he figured he didn't have to hide anything. Iroha eventually finished and glared at me again, for some reason she didn't seem to want me around and had no issue expressing it. Mikuo waved his hand and she scurried away as prompted. He seemed amused by the display, smiling a bit. I sat up stiffly, embarrassed, I hadn't even been at his house for three hours and already managed to break something, make a girl hate me, and manage to feel uncomfortable around my only friend. Great job Masayuki really.

"Ne, Masayuki?"

I turned and jumped back an inch in my chair. Mikuo had decided to take his seat next to me, with a coy grin on his face. Up to no good of course.

"Say Ahh." He waved a spoon around with rice on it just above my nose. "I can't have you breaking another bowl, so I've decided to feed you."

He had said it so bluntly I almost took him seriously. I shook my head realizing if I opened my mouth either to say 'ahh' or 'no' he'd just stick it in my mouth anyway. He pouted for a moment before shifting in his chair a bit, swinging his legs around in his chair completely facing me now. He locked eyes with me for a solid moment and I froze like a deer in headlights. Then he gave my seat a none too subtle kick, making it lean back about to topple over. I panicked and lunged forward and ended up toppling in his lap, knocking the spoon from his hand, clinging to him, terrified with my face buried in his chest. It was almost too pathetic for words. I could feel the air in his chest tighten, as she was trying his hardest not to laugh. The look on his face was cheerful, his cheeks reddened trying to hold in his laugh, his eyes, sparkled, his hair fell ever so perfectly against his face. This in essence was Mikuo, the side of him I got to see, the playful joker hidden behind his indifferent school persona. I found myself staring at him more so than usual. He looked so carefree, pretty, gorgeous, down right beautiful, all of those things. My heart skipped a beat, and another and another. Why was he so breathtaking? Hatsunes were just too amazing, and Mikuo was no exception.

"If you keep that look on your face any longer I swear I'm gonna kiss you."

I dipped my head up, shocked, opening my mouth to complain, opening my mouth, only to have a spoon jammed inside. During my little daydream Mikuo decided to resume his earlier actions. I would've complained but the subtle sweetness of the rice was distracting enough. He smiled and finally let out the laugh he had been holding him in between each breath calling my name and asking "How did you fall for that?" but never quite finishing what he had to say.

At the time I had only just beginning to understand my attraction to him, but I saw it as more of a friendly thing, than romantic. But that was just a pipe dream now. And when it disappeared I lost interest in food and pushed it away. Mayu looked up from her food, just a concerned look knowing nothing she would say would bring me back to the table. I murmured to her "It tasted good though..thank you."

Mayu sighed, I knew deep down she was worried by my behavior and wanted to help but I couldn't bring myself to talk about him or how I felt about him.

Mikuo Hatsune was just too much to talk about at one time.

Without him there was no buffer for the thoughts in my head. The voice could say anything and before I knew it I was listening. The more I tried to tune them out the louder they became. Pounding against the sides of my skull over and over demanding to be heard. I knew I just had to take those pills. But I hated those pills. The blue and white pills I usually left out for my sister in the morning with her breakfast whenever I left home before her. I didn't like them, I wanted to be normal, and normal people don't have to take these stupid pills. Mikuo didn't and I wouldn't either. As childish as it was to ignore the simple way out, it was just the kind of person I was. Eventually the voices won, they always did and I was in no condition to ignore them any longer.

_Is it painful?_

Yes it's painful.

_Why is it painful?_

Because Mikuo-kun betrayed me.

_I know how to stop the pain._

You do?

_Yes, just listen to what I say and do as I say, soon the pain will disappear as quickly as it began._

The next day I made up with Mikuo-kun. He apologized in the perfect way he always did, but he hugged me this time around which I assumed was his way to making it a legitimate apology. I accepted the apology but I'm sure we both knew I didn't mean it. Later he even formally introduced me to Rin.

Things had seemingly gone back to normal, I would smile and act normal, no one around me could see my stupid act.

Mikuo continued on being perfect but our relationship was below the surface broken beyond all compare. I couldn't forgive him or her for that matter.

It's difficult, it's regrettable.

I want it to stop but I can't even say that, I couldn't risk him finding out how I truly felt about him if I did, I'd only end up losing up more and more. I couldn't lose him, and I wouldn't lose him. I already knew he didn't feel the same, he'd never feel the same. Who would ever love a guy like me?

The voices would chime in.

_You will be exposed, shattered, become rusty and rot away and no one will notice. Even those absurd gossips will become truths._

Lies are okay..

_Because we tell the truth and we will crush all that sinful corruption._

The voices drone on for hours but that no longer bothered me. Even with the pills so close in reach I refused to take them.

One thing had slowly began to bother me soon after. Ever since Mikuo and Rin began going out...I saw less and less of him.

He spent almost every moment with a girl I was beginning to despise. Everyday he was gone the voice gave me terrible ideas of how to get rid of Rin and get his attention back. We'd both be happier without the attachment after all, but in all honesty I just wanted the voices (it seemed the longer Mikuo wasn't around the more voices appeared in my head) to stop, even if it meant getting rid of the girl I loved.

_Hanging, beheading, firing squad, boiling, drowning, electrocution, burning, live burial, poisoning, stoning, sawing, or crucifixion, pick whichever you like._

It was driving me insane, the never ending stream of dark demands and words getting worse and worse but I refused to let even my sister know my pain. It hurt. Every night I tried ignoring it, every night I stayed awake hoping they would give me peace but they wouldn't unless I gave in.

That is how I ended up in the Kagamine's house. I had snuck in for some reason I couldn't explain. I wanted something, to see Rin or maybe because being in my own house was driving me nuts? There was no logical reason for me to be inside her house without permission. I had blatantly broke in, that was the truth of the matter..because I wanted to get rid of her. That girl...that bitch. She...she had done this.

I was sitting in the hall closet, waiting for Rin to come home. She'd be home soon surely I assumed. I just sat there scratching into the closet walls, clawing at them, beginning to get white paint under my nails. I was letting my anger get the best of me, I didn't need to do this. Killing someone was wrong, what I needed to do was walk out the closet door right now and go home. Go home and call Mikuo and just tell him everything. Even if Mikuo rejected me I'd at least have some closure right? That was better than suffering in silence...or at the very least getting his clothes all messy.

Several things happened to prevent this from happening though.

At that exact epiphanic moment, the closet door opened. Fortunately it wasn't Rin, but her younger brother Len who had someone managed to come inside without making a peep.

Logically his first action looked to be the "run and call the police" motion, as he began slowly backing away. However a primal urge rose in me, the urge to not let this get to out of hand, if he got a phone or outside I was doomed. Now I found myself panicking, there was no sane thing I could do right now.

What really happened afterwards was a blur.

My hands wrapped tightly around the younger Kagamine's neck as tight as his body would allow. My attempts to get him to calm down had been in vain, he was terrified. I had originally intended to put my hand on his mouth but I ended up not hitting my mark with him running around. I had managed to trip him, which made him smack right into the stairs, bleeding quite badly from his head. He began panicking but he had stopped moving somewhat giving me enough time to grab onto him. The boy struggled against me but I wasn't letting go, I hadn't felt a rush like this in my entire life. This felt good. Seeing him look absolutely terrified and weak was intoxicating, I felt like I had done this before. When I pushed down the pained gasps from the boy underneath me got louder and even more strained. His expressions got worse more pained as his body begged for oxygen. He dug his nails into my arms in an attempt to push me off. It stung a bit, his perfectly manicured nails pierced through my skin with ease, though I began bleeding it hadn't made me deter from my actions in the slightest. I had been under so much stress lately from Mikuo really testing my patience and this seemed to be the best stress reliever around. I liked everything that was happening, the claw marks the boy left on my arms in an attempt to push me off. Before I knew it a twisted, happy or rather overjoyed grin appeared on my face as I counted every second until he stopped moving, even the voices in my head continued urging me to squeeze tighter. Make someone else feel all the pain I felt. It took exactly three or so minutes for Len to pass. And when he did he took my innocence with him. Not because I had just killed someone but because that fleeting high, that nearly orgasmic sensation he felt when he saw the life leave his eyes was over. It had ended so quickly and I wanted more. But I had Rin left after all. I actually no longer wanted to kill her, but in fact I was now planning on doing so. She'd be home soon enough after all. But two, three, four, or so minutes wasn't going to make me content. She needed to suffer for every second of agony she caused me. Then once I had my fun she would be free to go and rot in hell like she deserved right?

It took a little over three hours to do that though. Between knocking her out and managing to drag her home. I had done a bit more damage than I intended but I didn't care either way.

She was louder than I thought. She was a lot of things really. Though he wondered afterwards why they even had a place like that underneath the house in the first place. I had learned though that Vocaloids, at least the ones of Crypton descent don't burn. Hair and clothes yes, but it seemed that the bodies themselves didn't. So they remained in the basement like old toys a child doesn't want anymore. Physically they were dead but it didn't take much to reboot one, and as long as I had the bodies there was no way for that to occur. The locket I had however was filled with the ashes of the said hair, said proof of existence. Rin's hand however was still rotting so maybe some parts of her were still in fact human. I didn't know why I was dwelling on that, perhaps to remove the acts of brutality from my mind. But I had come to realize my love for her was fake, deep down it had all been an attempt to drive my want for Mikuo to go away.

"I was a lot more gentle with you, right Mikuo?"

I turned my attention back to Mikuo, his lifeless body floating in the glass tank. His expression was oddly peaceful though. I guess he accepted his fate easier than I figured.

Even in death he was still perfect.

His head pressed against the case.

I stood and placed my lips on that very spot.

"You understand why I did this right? I did it because I love you..I loved Rin too..."

I gave him another. "Mikuo-kun...I never really got to say it to you, but I love you more than anything. I wanted you a lot more than I could express…"

There was no answer though. There shouldn't have been one. There would never be one. That didn't stop me from reverting to normal for a moment, shedding one tear for him.

I wasn't feeling guilt or anything. It was because I felt nothing I was acting like this. I didn't feel anything anymore. I knew I still loved him and missed him, but the true emotion wasn't there anymore. I wanted the emotions back though. I continued placing kisses along the glass until I felt it no longer necessary.

"Is this love's destination under the sea...or beyond the clouds?"

And only in my head did I hear Mikuo's voice one last time.

_No one possibly knows the answer to that._


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay this chapter will a bit longer than the last and a friend helped me write this so give her her props XD **

**The Crescendo High Murders Chapter Four: Just the Beginning**

It had three months.

Exactly three months..eleven hours...seventeen minutes...and thirty-five seconds...thirty six seconds...thirty seven seconds, you get the point.

Three months since Masayuki heard a voice in his head.

It had been three blissful months of silence. It seems that the voices disappeared with them.

Masayuki had thought he'd feel something. Anything. But there was nothing. He didn't feel anything when they finally declared the Kagamines dead. He didn't feel anything when the school held Mikuo's memorial. Something however was bothering him. The location of Mikuo's body was never found by the police. He guessed no one really remembered Lapis Marina since it shut down but he found himself visiting Mikuo more often than he wanted. Everyday after school he rush off through the woods as fast as his long legs would allow. He would just gaze at his friend's corpse floating behind the glass. He would kiss the glass and apologize every time, tell him about his day and even ask him questions about his homework. Masayuki knew there would never be an answer to anything he said or did, but he still craved his friend's attention. He still craved to emulate the perfection he was. Everyday he would search for some type of flaw in Mikuo, but there never was. No sign of decay on any visible amount of flesh. Even in his death he was just perfection. Usually this was when Masayuki would bid his friend goodbye.

At school though Masayuki showed emotion. He would cry whenever Mikuo, Rin, or Len was mentioned. He would distance himself from his other classmates, and look fondly at the two seats near the window that used to hold them, and no one at school noticed his stupid act. No one noticed the dirty impure being among them. And he would smile because no one would ever find out.

"Ne, Masa-chan?'

Masayuki snapping away from his brief flashback to the voice, the sweet voice of his elder sister Mayu. She was shifting nervously, her hair swaying with her movements. Her cheeks reddened. These were obvious tells that Mayu was about to ask for something related to her boyfriend, Hio. Hio, as Mayu called him, was actually Yohio. He was some guy from exchange student from Sweden as he recalled and Mayu fell head over heels in love with him when they first met. He was an overall nice guy and he treated Mayu right but that didn't mean Masayuki liked him. He just tolerated him to keep his sister from lobbing his head off with that axe of hers.

"Whatever it is yes, I'll just meet you back at home."

"B-But Masa-chan you didn't let me finish..."

"What then?"

"H-Hio-kun invited me to the movies and I was hoping you...would go with us..I know since you lost Mi-"

Masayuki quite visibly flinched. He didn't need to hear that name more than necessary.

"No. I have plans just go ahead."

Mayu opened her mouth to the say something, but was cut off by Masayuki standing to leave and heading for the door.

"M-Masa-chan! Wait please just-"

The younger lolitaloid turned and faked a smile.

"Have fun with Hio-kun okay?"

And with that he turned and left.

He knew that Mayu was only being a good sister but he just wasn't in the mood for that shy talk of hers.

Masayuki wandered the sunlit halls alone as usual, enjoying the serene silence in his head loving every sweet second of it. Passing and counting the lockers almost in a dream itself it seemed. Until he felt a familiar buzzing on his thigh. His darn cellphone. He fumbled in his pockets, never being to get his cellphone when he actually needed it. Finally pulling his phone out. It was just a text message after all.

From Akita Neru.  
Masayuki knew a lot about Neru from rumours she started or rumours others started. She seemed like a typical drama starter, but he liked her a bit better than he did Miku. How she managed to get his number? He didn't want to know.  
He tapped the text and froze.

_I know what you did._

What.  
He read it again. And again. And again. His body shaking in shock.

_I know what you did_.

And that moment the silence was shattered.  
The voices chimed in.

_It seems that we made a miscalculation._  
_A grave one indeed. _  
_What shall we do now? _  
_Only one option. _  
_Only one indeed._

Masayuki held his head.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

_You know you can't stop now. _  
_Yes, you already have blood on your hands._  
_What's the harm in another one?_  
_You don't want to be deleted do you?_

Deleted.  
Deletion.  
It was the one thing all Vocaloids, Fanloids, and even Utauloids feared. We were all everlasting beings. Under normal conditions death wasn't a threat to us. We could of course kill each other but it was rare. But deletion was something else entirely.  
Deletion was permanent unlike death. It meant you were no longer useful or even a corrupted file. Deletion was painful. You could feel every percent of your existence disappearing. Memories fading  
Phonemes lost.  
Being erased.  
Until it all said 100%.  
And then you were gone. Whisked away to to the recycling bin. Until it was emptied.  
Then you were nothing.

It it was a fear that Masayuki held for quite sometime. He wasn't a good singer. His pronunciation and skill wasn't up to par. He feared that every song was his last.  
And now that he took away someone's life.  
The odds were even higher. If someone knew about this and told it was certain he'd be deleted. The voices were right. He had no choice but to kill her.

* * *

It was a few minutes after midnight. Masayuki sat in his bedroom every light off. The only sliver of light belonged to the moonlight too bright to be  
contained behind the black curtains.  
He sat in front the mirror in his bedroom.  
A large mirror surrounded and bound in a silver stand in a rose design.  
This was the only way he could achieve a few moments of silence in his head. Talking to "himself" in the mirror.  
We were obviously two different beings sharing one body, he always thought.  
He just looked "darker" than me. His eyes are eyes were a deep warped yellow color. He was always smiling. No matter what Masayuki ever said to it. Though this conversation wasn't for leisure. It was his nerves getting the best of him. If Neru really did know what he did, she had power over him like no one else. Would she blackmail him? Tell on him? Or worse? He had no idea how to handle this so he had no choice but to ask for help from "it". He had no name for it, but it was seemingly the manifestation of all the voices that took root in his head.

_Hello myself, so...wanna talk?_

Am I insane?

_I don't know, are you?_

Is this insanity?

_This is only an illusion that can't end._

Masayuki's vision blurred slightly from irritation. He wanted a clear cut answer but this thing only wanted to taunt him.  
The darkness of the room seemed to be growing, the light getting smaller and smaller. He wanted to open the curtains, before that sliver of light disappeared. Before he disappeared in that never ending darkness.

_You are insane. You are dark. And in the darkness..._

The light disappeared.  
...there is no light.

_The corruption will only continue until the you you once were, finally rots away._

Masayuki opened his mouth to scream.

Someone please...please...help me...

He tried to move, scream, anything to alert someone he needed help. He couldn't hold back anymore. It was useless though. His body like his reflection wasn't moving.

_Masayuki do you know where you are?_  
_Do know what time it is?_  
_Do you know where you will go?_  
_You know where you deserve to go_  
_Where Mikuo and Rin desire you to go._  
_But hey! Let's forget! Wouldn't it be great if the memory went away? Let's make it go away! And anyone who dares make us remember...will be taken in in our ever growing darkness, let's make the corruption continue! Okay?_  
_Not like you a choice anyway right?_

He tried to think of any reason not to do this. He didn't wish to kill again. But the voices clawed at him, ripped him to pieces minute after minute. He could only scream and hope someone would hear his pain. Someone to rescue him from this darkness but as usual the pain always made him cave.

Unbeknownst to poor Masayuki...as he began losing the last few fragments of his sanity. As he gave in to himself...that he was overreacting.  
The text he received had only been a joke. A innocent little prank broke him. He was the weak one after all.

* * *

Masayuki ghosted through the school halls the next day. Deprived of any rest mentally or physically but was somehow managing to keep walking. He had bags under his eyes, his school uniform People were giving him worried glances, one of which he recognized as Haku Yowane. She was fairly timid but a truly sweet girl. She was albino at least that's what he heard. for she was extremely pale this only highlighted her deep crimson eyes and stark white hair. She was slender but shapely as well. Masayuki found her to be really pretty in every sense of the word. She was a senior but was always in the company of Neru, whom was a sophmore and whom he was desperate to avoid today. But as usual luck wasn't on his side and she sauntered over.

"Um...Masayuki-kun right?" She held out her hand to him, a nervous smile on her face. Masayuki didn't take her hand, just nodded not wishing for any type of contact today with anyone.

She continued speaking as he assumed he would.

"My name is Haku Yowane, um I just wanted ask if I could eat lunch with you today?"

He opened his mouth to say no. Hell no. Anything to assert the fact that he DID NOT want anyone's help or pity right now, because they could say or do would help him.

If the look on his face was any indication, his answer was definitely no, but as sweet as Haku appeared she was persistent when she saw someone who was clearly lonely. She to had been that way. Lonely. Misunderstood. Living in the shadows, everything changed when she met Neru. Everything got better. So she decided that if she would do the same for anyone and everyone. Masayuki of course being no exception.

As he turned to leave Haku grabbed him, oddly stronger than she appeared, and pulled him into her arms. A tight warm hug.

The poor lolitaloid didn't know how to handle this. Even when his sister gave him hugs he froze like this. It wasn't like he didn't like them it just the sudden rush of warmth, and that someone wanted to be this close to him even as he was now shocked him, and quite nearly brought him to tears. He struggled hoping she would let go, but she didn't. So he gave in, and one tear escaped before she let go. In that moment Masayuki wanted to confess. Tell this white haired angel of his sins and beg for forgiveness, but this obviously wasn't the right time. She leaned up and whispered quietly in his ear. Something he truly needed to hear. She stepped back, waved farewell and skipped off in search of her texting tsundere of a best friend.

As she rounded the corner, Masayuki ran into the nearest bathroom and locked himself in the stall, tears streaming down his face. For the moment he was himself the weak crybaby he had always been. Not even the voices could be heard through Haku's words floating through his mind.

_It's not your fault._

* * *

Only five more minutes until class ended. Ms. Ann was asking for a volunteer just to sing something. Anything just to close the day. She had also said anyone but Miku could volunteer. (As she always volunteered for it, and Ms. Ann wanted someone new) Masayuki was busy counting down because as it seemed no one was in the mood to do this. The ringing bell and 's groan of disapproval proved him right but that was besides the point. He had a bigger task to handle. Far too busy to be bothered with the outside world, Neru Akita still in her seat was busy texting who knows what to whomever would listen or read. He had to play the innocent card here.

"N-Neru-chan?"

The girl didn't even have the courtesy to look up. She made a sort of "hm?" sound and her fingers continued to daintily skim over buttons.

"Um, about that text you sent me? I-"

She glanced up with a bored expression, still texting even without looking. Impressive to say the least.

"Masayuki or whatever, I won't tell anyone about your little secret. Just do me one favor."

He nodded almost dropping his act completely.

"Help me with this Geometry homework and I won't say a peep okay?"

_That's it?_ He thought to himself. _She had me worried all night for a one damn homework assignment?_

_Maybe we should just kill her here?_

_Bash her head in with a textbook?_

_I think a chair would make more sense, less effort actually._

_I think stabbing her with a ruler would be more fun._

Good grief shut up.

Masayuki agreed and began leading Neru to his home.

He had no plans to kill her there, he couldn't risk his sister seeing that or leaving any evidence. He just would feel more comfortable at home. From that point on the evening was pretty uneventful.

Neru didn't actually need any help she just didn't want to do it, she even corrected him on a few things. Masayuki did excuse himself though. Being around her was starting make his skin crawl in every wrong way imaginable.

He went up to his room and locked the door. Reaching under his pillow to retrieve the red sachet he had that had made his home under his pillow for the past three months. Rin's once beautiful hand unlike Mikuo had begun slowly but surely began to decay. The index finger had fallen off twice despite him sewing it back on. It wasn't bright had it once been in it had turned a bit grey, but it still tasted...good. For awhile now he had been sucking on them as depraved as that sounds. It originally started as a way of forced repentance, like how he always kissed the glass before he greeted him. But it was different with direct contact, in fact it made him feel that high again briefly. Every time he did it he could relive the moment when Rin awoke and saw her newly dismembered hand. He could taste the emotion she felt in a way. He raised it near his mouth but remembered that he couldn't enjoy himself like that yet. Even with the door locked he knew it was still a bit too risky. Oh and he He still had a ponytailed pest to deal with. He didn't imagine that he needed anything fancy to take her out. He knew Neru could outrun him on any day of the week, so whatever he did had to incapacitate her quickly...but since he kinda of liked her he'd use something moderately nice. In fact he might as well use of his sister's dumb axes. He wasn't a usual user of blunt force. He preferred slicing to be honest, less messy but he had to do this quick. Slicing was better for when he wanted to play around a bit, as the voice had said as he begun killing off the rather immense rabbit population around the house. (Unlike his sister cats were his forte) But he'd bring a small knife just in case. A little fun, couldn't hurt right?

Neru was bored. She had been stuck somewhere off in Loserland for the last couple hours, courtesy of Haku, who under her guidance sent some lonely weirdo a fake message about knowing some secret just to get him to interact with her. Haku was determined to make um..Masayuki was it? Feel comfortable around around new people. She guessed she just wanted them to be friends? Neru asked her to do it herself and tell him it was a mistext but she told her later that he gave her a look of doom. To sum it up, Neru was ready to go home for every reason in the world also it was extremely cold in Masayuki's estate. She would say house but it was a bit larger than a normal house. Neru sent Haku a quick text to meet her halfway to Masayuki's house because she wanted to get home. (She worried what her younger brother could do all day alone.)

"Yo! Masayuki, I'm leaving! Thanks for the help or whatever, let's do it again sometime...or not probably not?"

She didn't hear an answer and didn't care. She didn't want to be stay here any longer than she had to. All she had to do was head home now before he came-

"Ne, Neru-chan! Let me walk you home, it's dangerous to go alone!"

Shit.

Well at least Haku replied that she was on her way with a sweater, guessing she could tell Neru was cold.

With no other actual option, Neru agreed to tag along with him, or have him tag along with her. Neru however did notice that Masayuki had a backpack on his shoulder, with a handle sticking out, but she didn't want to call him out on it, she saw a wolf on the way up so perhaps it was a bat or something. They headed out walking up the gravel road in a awkward silence. Masayuki watching the moon, and Neru frantically texting Haku to speed up, she was starting to feel increasingly nervous the longer she was alone with this boy. Haku of course replying she was just coming down the path, so she was fairly close by which made her relax and continue texting as normal. Masayuki however had been waiting for this.

Neru was unaware now of any of his movements her eyes locked on the dimly lit screen as she scrolled through the vibrant images leading up to words, Masayuki took this opportunity to pull the ace from the black backpack on his arm, dropping it to the ground. They were far enough from the house and the road for him to take her out here. He raised the axe over the golden blonde's head and swung down with as much force as he could muster. Neru managed to look up at this point, her eyes widened and shut just as quickly slightly catching something white heading towards her. She was imagining a painful, smashing impact. There was a sickening shattering sound and and soon a thick red liquid splattered against both blondes faces. To their surprise and disbelief it wasn't from either or their's blood, but Haku's. Her silky moonlit hair was tainted by the wine red color, as she struggled to stand only stumbling, the axe driven into her head. Neru's skin now devoid of color, illegible syllables coming from her lips.

"H-Hurry..." Haku managed to say, as her legs began buckling once more, life draining from her every second she stood trying to shield her best friend. "G-Go...now..."

"B-But Haku! Neru was the one in tears now, and to both Neru and Haku's shock Masayuki sat there still frozen in disbelief. The angel that suddenly appeared in his life was struck down. By his own hands.

Haku who was standing now merely by willpower now was begging Neru to run.

"H-Hurry...go...I wouldn't want to live in this world without my best friend anyway..." At this point Haku collapsed, the blood coating her face as she gave her best friend one last smile and glance. Though remorseful to do so Neru began running, and Masayuki finally snapping out of it attempted to do so as well but the weak grasp that Haku had on his ankle was enough to keep him at bay until Neru was out of sight.

Haku hadn't even needed to be slaughtered died the moment Neru escaped.

Masayuki however once Haku let go no longer able to hold him, sat her up against a tree and pulled the axe from her head, got on his knees and weakly apologized. He hadn't meant to do this. This wasn't calculated. He closed her eyes and placed one kiss on her cheek. He promised he'd give her a proper burial when he finished with Neru. He had at least one more trick up his sleeve.

Neru soon stripped of breath, after escaping Masayuki was in tears. Countless tears streaming down her face , failing to cease no matter how much she wanted them to. Of all the people who had to die for her sake why Haku? One of the kindest souls she had ever met. Neru's running soon calmed and turned into walking. What should she do now? Call the cops? Go home? Attempt waking up from whatever nightmare she had fallen in?There were a few seconds of silence before her phone beeped causing her heart to nearly jump out her chest.

Despite every cell in her body telling her not to look at her phone she opened it and read the text labeled From: Masayuki

He heart rate accelerated upon reading this, soon gasping and choking on more tears as she read through the text, begging god, or any god, wandering spirit, for this to be some terrible nightmare . Masayuki's goal wasn't to reach Neru but enter her home and the picture attached proved that he was already inside. Neru now only had one thing on her mind as she read this and that was Nero. The lonely, emotional, weak boy who was her little brother. He would die if she did not hurry . Though still out of breath her pace suddenly quickened refusing to stop running until she made it home. Anger and sadness rushed through he upon seeing the blonde vocaloid , his wry grin only provoking her more.

"Leave Nero alone..!" Neru managed to gasp out, tears only flowing down her cheeks again. This had led to to Masayuki's grin to spread even wider.

"Now now, Ne-ru-chan~! You know far too much now don't you~?"

Neru knew where this was heading and she didn't want it to go anywhere near that.

Neru begged and even got on her knees.

"I'll keep quiet...! Please just leave my brother alone!"

Masayuki shook his head, his now common sadistic expression seemingly unable to wipe off as he paced around the sobbing boukaloid.

"Neru~ You've already soiled my my hands with unneeded blood to I had another plan in mind..."

Though reluctant to ask, Neru barely choked out "What...?"

Once he handed Neru a pen, paper, and what seemed to be drugs, Neru soon understood what she must do, even if it'd end her own life , at least her brother would live on.

It seemed like hours for Neru, forcing herself to write every little word, dragging along each sentence, even hoping to make small hints as to what really happened throughout the letter. After finishing it , she placed it within her little brother's room, tears returning to roll down her cheeks as she had taken a long last glance her beloved brother for the last time. Softly pecking his cheek before trudging into her own room and under Masayuki's watchful gaze taking every last felt nothing at first but soon an overwhelming sleepiness. Darkness literally enveloping her she tried desperately to stay awake but the drugs won. Feeling a somewhat soothing pat on her head, Neru dozed off into eternal rest.

* * *

Masayuki wondered his way back home undetected of course, his eyes looked souless now, no light, no dark, just nothing. He felt terrible for ending two more lives today but at the same time he was excited would he get away with it again? He however was determined to make it back and bury Haku though. She though it had only been for an instance was nice to him and he would return the favor. However when Masayuki rounded past the Manor's gate he noticed Haku's body was gone. There was no way Haku had survived that injury. She was dead when he left her here. Someone found her. Someone found Haku and moved her out of sight, he could tell by the blood splatters on the ground leading away from the scene. Towards his own home. Masayuki's heart began racing again as he sprinted towards his house.

But who would've tried to cover this up for him? And why?

Little did Masayuki know...this was just the beginning.


	5. Chapter 5

**With most of our characters dearly introduced, let's begin this dance of death. Dance and twirl as lightly and gracefully as you can over the broken glass of our characters lives slowly intertwining. Let's hope you can keep up.**

**The Crescendo High Murders Chapter Five: I'm Sorry I'm Sorry.**

It was around six in the morning when Nero had awoken, through Nero had a horrible churning in his stomach. Perhaps it was the lack of aroma coming from the kitchen? Though Neru had kept it a secret from others, she made breakfast daily for Nero. Though, he knew he was the anxious type, he soon dismissed his fear as just simple worrying. He dragged himself out of bed, briefly noticing a slip of paper near his bed but quickly ignored it. He soon stumbled along into Neru's room, he stepped over to the apparently sleeping girl, hunched over her desk, she had late night crammers before, so it wasn't out of the usual to see her like this. Though a moment later Nero's skin paled, completely devoid of color upon touching his dearest sister, it was chilled him to the marrow of his bones. No warmth , or movement had come from within Neru. Instinctively he began shaking her, "Neru?! Neru..?!" after several failed attempts to waken her from this coma-like sleep she seemed trapped in his eyes soon welled up with the salty proof of his confusion. Making illegible at his deceased sister he called out one final time hoping maybe he hadn't been loud enough.

"N-Neru..?"

He barely gasped out reaching out his hand out to touch her, his hand slowly going down her back, his face turning puffy and red every second he continued to look at her. He was absolutely numb with disbelief, not believing for a second that Neru was the type to do this. Never was she diagnosed with depression, or even show a single symptom of it. Soon without thinking his legs began moving remembering the slip of paper beside his bed this morning that caught his eye. He ran back to his bedroom nearly tripping in the process. His eyes widened upon seeing it, snatching onto it with dear life, a tear finally rolling down his puffy cheeks with every word he read, a weep for every sentence. Hours later the police came confirming that it was indeed a suicide to their evidence. On briefly noted that she looked remarkably clean even though she was still clad in her school uniform like she came straight out the shower, but otherwise they ruled out foul play, just an open and shut suicide case. Nero however was busy reading over the letter over and over and over. Second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, just desperate to find any reason as to why she did it. Finally a week later he had found it. A reason that made his blood run cold upon reading it. He noticed several faint letters, errors perhaps? But after finding and placing them all together, it stated:

_MASADIDTHISTOME_

Masadidthistome?

After reading it several times over and adjusting and placing the words together correctly. He was shocked. The seemingly most friendly guy within school? Masayuki looked like the kind of guy to catch flies just to put them back outside or save butterflies from spider webs, not the type to put them in webs or lead them to their doom. Why out of all people would he...

Despite his confusion, Nero vowed vengeance when he watched his sister being lowered in her grave, looking down as the closed coffin, tears blurring his vision as they spilled over and down his cheeks and into Neru's final resting place.

"You'll be avenged...I promise..."

* * *

It had exactly one month since the incident. Since Masayuki killed Haku and forced Neru to kill herself. He had gotten into the habit of counting every single second now between the kills. He assumed there was going to be more but that was besides the point. It had barely been a week since he got rid of a certain girl.

While Nero was busy deciphering the letter for those days on end, Masayuki's bloodlust had risen again, his temptations sinking deeper into his soul every second he feigned innocence. Only one girl was dancing about in his mind, seeming to just reek with provocation. Hatsune Miku. She had /everything/, from money to looks, and even a voice that made many swoon. Anyone who made contact with her burned with envy or lust, this certainly wasn't an exception for the currently deceased Rin Kagamine. He recalled the few times the two worked on projects together, she always speaking poorly of the Junior Class president, it was only obvious she had loathed Miku compared to the brother she had deeply fallen for. This had only provoked Masayuki's temptations more, he didn't want to see a trace of the Hatsune family ever again. Everything about Miku triggered anger from within the young boy. At that moment he decided he'd end the pulse of Hatsune Miku. For him planning it was easier than the others. As expected from such a charismatic damsel, she had been the president of the theater class as well, and an angel in within the school play, lead role of course. It had all panned out perfectly. Masayuki had snuck into the school in the dead of night, which proved difficult as being such a dignified school, had an hell of a security force patrolling. His identity was concealed pretty well, a coat and a mask, though in retrospect it made him look like the phantom of the opera. Slowly he began climbing the withing the catwalk, slashing the rope that was to aid in the teal haired vocaloid in "flying". The performance was tomorrow, and one hell of a performance it was going to be. As the late afternoon had approached, Masayuki wandered about backstage. If anyone asked what he was doing, he would cutely say while looking at the ground that he wanted to wish Miku, good luck, since he was feeling a bit better. They would just say Aww, and send him on his way. Simpletons. Masayuki waved the moment he saw her, looking the part of the angel beautifully.

"Best of luck Miku-chan!" he called as she sped past. Miku stopped merely just to giggle, and of course wink saying, "I don't need luck..it's bound to be a performance when I'm around!" This led to Masayuki smirking, muttering, "I'm sure it will be." As he watched the twin tailed singer hurried up to the catwalk, himself returning to his seat beside his sister with the rest of the audience. The crowd which filled every seat in the auditorium seemed to be roaring with excitement, their eyes twinkling with anticipation as they awaited the blue haired beauty to arrive down from the heavens as her role detailed. But just as Miku was being lowered to the ground, singing beautifully enough that everyone in the room was holding their breath, and in that brief moment, as soon as she stepped off the catwalk...her cord snapped.

There was a screech, a splatter, and soon silence. The people in front already screaming as Miku's blood was quite literally coating them. The remainde of the crowd was terrified, mixed emotions seeping throughout. An apparently worn out cord, leading to the death of the most popular girl in school. Masayuki feigning terror was deeply satisfied with himself. It had been one hell of a performance. But as he turned his gaze met anothers. A boy in one of his classes giving him a look of appreciation. In fact he was smiling at him. The lavender haired boy simply walked past him and said quietly, it almost drowned out by the sounds of the crowd but said loud enough to make sure he heard.

_That was one hell of a play...Masa-chan._

* * *

Masayuki hadn't been to school in a month. That comment along with his conscious prevented him from doing so. He was beyond depressed. It was like when he wasn't at the voices beck and call he could feel the weight of the blood on his hands. He had been able to convince his sister who in return was able to convince the school that he was really sick, and seeing Miku splatter onto the ground had made it worse. They all believed though so he was usually left alone. On some days he swear when tried to drift into sleep he could see them. Mikuo, Rin, Miku and even Neru staring at him from the dark corners in his room. Getting closer and closer, their eyes clouded over like dead fish, begging and calling him to come closer. He would refuse and scream for them to please leave him alone. But they never left. They stood there all night tormenting him. There was even one night where they requested he kill himself. Just end himself before he hurt anyone else. But it was pointless. He tried drowning himself, but he couldn't for some reason the nozzles in the bathroom didn't work. He tried stabbing himself but the knives and weapons counter were seemingly all locked. No matter how much he didn't want to be here something was keeping him here. Promptly he would begin crying screaming out in anger for them to leave him alone. Go away, disappear, but even if they left his sight they were always there. He was never alone. They would never leave him alone, but did he really deserve the silence anymore? This was possibly the worst thing to ever to happen to him.

But in his mind he knew things could be far worse. Like the way it had been back then. When he actually lived on the boarder of insanity, and didn't even know he was there. It was his own personal real hell he lived in for six years. He had no name. He was really just an idea. A concept. He had form yes, a voice, yes but other than that he was nothing. He didn't know if he was girl. Or a boy. The doctors usually referred to him as it. He didn't know where he was born or who his mother was. He just knew those four white walls. Stuck in that white room with no windows. Only one door that was consistently locked every waking moment. On the days it wasn't locked he was subjected to cruel torment in order to stop the voices in his head. Shock therapy was the most common, electrocuting him to the point he would piss himself or worse- he nearly bit his tongue off once- screaming until his voice was hoarse which was why he couldn't sing very well today. He was sure most of the time he'd just fall asleep...forever as he didn't know of death at the time. They told him he had some type of condition he couldn't remember the name but they often said auditory hallucinations. That the voices weren't real but something he was imagining. He was only ten at the time but he didn't believe he was imagining these voices. They sounded to loud to be in his head. He said once that they were in the room, just had no body and were speaking through him. On one occasion he attacked one of the doctors, he had heard him say something, he didn't exactly remember what he heard but the voices egged him on to attack him. They thought he was possessed or worse. Corrupted. Files like that weren't allowed. So the final ultimatum was if they couldn't fix him...he'd be deleted. At the time he had no family, no relatives to take him in. So he was at the beck and call of the doctors. Left quaking in fear in the same four white walls. Relishing the few moments of silence granted when he couldn't hear a single voice in his head. It was truly bliss. But as days became weeks then months they were sure he wouldn't be cured. He would be deleted. He had seventy-two hours left. And he counted every last second. But at exactly fourty-two hours...seventeen minutes...thirty-eight seconds...the door opened.

But it wasn't the doctors, whose faces he had come to know. Their in the door was an young woman, probably just barely into her twenties. Her hair was platinum blonde, the tips colored brightly, blue, green, and purple from what he could see, braided back behind her head. Skin smooth like porcelain, not a single blemish to be seen, and her eyes a striking shade of yellow that seemed they would pierce him if he made the wrong move. Clad in thick rimmed black glasses, a black turtleneck sweater, orange pleated skirt, knee high black socks, and orange heels. If she was a doctor she had a pretty unusual get up. She eyed him curiously, and stepped inside, behind her he could hear someone telling her not to go inside. He was dangerous, but the woman shrugged and ignored it. She approached him and he stepped back, what if she was the one here to delete him. Maybe he miscounted and it had already been seventy-two hours. All he knew was that he didn't want her to come any closer.

She could tell, and stopped about one foot away from him, and sat down, her legs tucked behind her. She reached into her sweater and after a moment pulled out something wrapped in golden foil. She fumbled with the wrapper, giving him the chance to note how pretty her hands were, each finger nail painted a different color.

"Here."

Shaken from his thoughts he glanced up not noticing how close she had gotten. About six inches were between them now. In front of him now was a small brown rectangle. He looked confused by it and she could tell. He had never been given solid food before, they feared he'd choke on it apparently. She sighed and gave him a small pat on the head though it had meant to be comforting, he thought she was trying to hit him and he backed away. It was a moment before she spoke again.

"Say ah? Can you speak?"

Ah? What sound was ah? The boy placed a hand to his neck and shook his head. His way of saying no. All the doctors here knew he could barely sing or speak much anymore.

"Can you open your mouth, just a little?"

He at the very least knew what that meant and opened his mouth just a bit, enough to see his tongue, he was starting to quake a bit again, scared of what this was leading to. Was she going to pull his teeth out? Cut his to tongue off? Many other painful situations coming to mind the longer she didn't do anything.

The woman leaned closer and placed to small brown rectangle in his mouth, and assuming he didn't know what to do next she closed him mouth. It was a second before the flavor hit him, the sweet new taste melting on his tongue. He didn't know what it was, he couldn't even describe the feeling it gave him, but he liked it to say the least. She then again reached out to pat his head, a smooth pat through his hair. He leaned a bit closer to her, he didn't know why but he liked this sensation. It wasn't like how he was touched before. It didn't make his skin scream out in pain, or even make him flinch, he just knew he liked it. Her hand moved and towards his back along with her other hand and very gently she pulled him closer to her, his head resting on her chest his body flushed against her. The immediate warmth scared him, he didn't know what she was doing but he was for the first time comfortable with the touch with another person. He didn't want her to let go either, even if she was the one to get rid of him, he didn't want this warmth to disappear. It was faint but he could also hear her heartbeat, a soft and calm sound bumping against his ear.

For a what felt like forever she held him like that, before speaking again.

"My name is Miya Chokosabe, do you have a name?"

Name? He was sure he had one, he was called many things by doctors, but none of them seemed appropriate to say to this woman, this angel that seemed to appear from nowhere, so he shook his head again.

She wagged a finger saying, "That's no good, they never gave you a name? That's just cruel..." She continued but he was far too distracted by the smear that brown rectangle left of her finger. He opened his mouth again hoping she'd give him another taste. It was a while before she noticed but following his gaze she held out her finger for affirmation. The moment he closed his small mouth around her index finger she let out a small chuckle.

'It's chocolate, just in case you're wondering. I'll give some more later...but shall I give you a name first? Would you like that?"

His response was a small timid nod.

Miya gave him another look over. He was the epitome of disheveled. His hair was shaggy, dirty and matted. His skin was oddly smooth to the touch but dry at the same time. He had no clothes other than the shorts, a size to big for his skinny frame. Poor boy, she pitied him, he deserves to feel some happiness right? She turned her head briefly deep in thought, but beamed a second after.

"I have a little girl around your age, her name is Mayu..so...Ma...yu...let's put some letters around that? I think Masayuki is such a cute name! How about we call you that?"

He didn't know what made a good name or if that even was a nice name, but if that's what she wanted to call him then he would accept it.

He would accept Masayuki.

In the raspy weak voice he nearly forgot he had he repeated it.

"Ma...Ma...Sa...Yu..k..ki..."

"Well Masayuki, I'll give you a choice, you can stay here...or you can come with me."

"Wi...With you?"

"Yes, I'll take you far far away from here."

He wanted more than anything to be free from these walls, even if she only took him to the door, that'd be enough. But another part of him felt like he shouldn't leave. He had never been past the door, at least conscious. Why was he putting so much trust in this woman, he didn't know or care to know. She didn't give off a sense of doom as the other doctors did. So he once again nodded, clinging to her sweater.

She beamed and in one quick fluid motion she picked him up, carrying him like a newborn baby.

"Well...Masayuki, I'm here to take you away, to take you home, I've wanted a boy for sometime now, and I bet Mayu will be excited to meet you."

A doctor finally making his way into the room, pleaded with her to leave him there, that she couldn't just take him like this. He instinctively gripped her tightly, shaking again, hoping she wouldn't put him down, and leave him here. She pressed her lips to his forehead and calmly said everything would be okay, she wasn't leaving him here.

"Mrs. Chokosabe, I'm begging you, this isn't a good idea, he isn't stable, if you take him he'll surely hinder you, he's infected, he'll-'

"You should know that me taking him is helping you, you wouldn't want people to find out what you've been doing to him or the others would you?"

The doctor paled and attempted some type of comeback but couldn't find the words, and moved out her way, those yellow eyes piercing him with a glare, the newly named Masayuki was glad he could just barely see.

That was the last that he ever saw of those white walls, and the first time he breathed outside air, or saw outside. It was white out here as well, something white falling beautifully from the sky. She sat him in the front seat, wrapping him with several blankets, placing another kiss on his cheek, calling him cute once more.

"Masayuki...one more thing okay?"

He looked at her curiously, wondering what else he needed to know.

"Call me Mom okay? I'd like that a lot."

Mom.

Mom.

Mom.

The word seemed so foreign to him, but he wanted to say it. This angel that suddenly appeared was his Mom.

The ride to his new home was both terrifying and serene. It was quiet albeit the humming quickly turning into singing from Miya- or his Mother. She was humming a pretty energetic tune, he could make out the words, sing-a-ring-a-ring or wippa-wippa-win a few times and something about a boy with no hope for the future. He liked it to say the least and even attempted to sing along much to the amusement of the woman beside him. That was the serene part, the terrifying part was the fact that she was speeding, the car slipping to the side every couple feet only to spin in a circle making his heart skip a beat every time, she on the other hand was saying "Weee!" like this was a ride. He didn't know much about driving but he knew she wasn't doing it even remotely correct. But all the jerky movements from the car were slowly making him sleepy and just before the he closed his eyes the car stopped.

"Masayuki, we're here!"

He managed to look up, still pretty close to dozing off still, his gaze falling to the massive house they were parked in front off. It looked to him like one of those castles you read about in Dracula, he wasn't sure whether to call it gothic or not, but he was sure it was close.

"I know it looks pretty scary inside, but I assure you it's cozy on the inside."

She opened the passenger side door once more and picked him up, pressing him close, as the wind was picking up again and she didn't want him to catch a cold. She kicked the door shut and quickly brought him inside, setting him down on a sofa. She shook some snow off her head and said something about running him a bath. So he was alone for the moment. He glanced at the fireplace and scooted off the coach, just to get a bit warmer at least. He glance flitted between the black carpet to the red curtains closing out the cold. From what he had seen the entire area seemed to be monochrome.

"H-Hi?" A tiny voice chimed.

Masayuki turned to see a little girl, quite a bit shorter than he was, but a striking resemblance to Miya. Clad in a pink nightgown, her head tilted to the side, in her arms was a cute looking stuffed rabbit, she was almost too cute to look at. Her cheeks were beginning to turn red, and she looked a bit nervous, due to the fact that her tiny voice had gone unanswered. So she repeated Hi once more.

Finally realizing that she was talking to him, he finally spoke up in that equally small raspy voice of his.

"H-Hi.."

The girl perked up immediately after hearing his voice.

"M-My name is Mayu...etto...um you are?"

"My...My...name is Masayuki."

Her eyes widened, surprised by his name perhaps? She dropped her stuffed rabbit and begin hopping from foot to the other

"Y-Your Masa? O-Oh...Mommy told me to come fetch you!"

And with that she tugged him up, not bothering to ask him to follow, and continued to tug him towards the stairs. Masayuki never having to use stairs was having trouble keeping up with Mayu, his legs never having to work this hard nearly gave out on him the moment he reached the top step. Down the hall though he could see steam seeping out of a room, which is apparently where Mayu intended to take him. Somehow he was able to regain some strength and run down the hall -dragging Mayu behind him this time. He did however knock on the door before running inside. Miya's voice chimed happily from inside to come in.

She sat next to a bathtub propped up on four legs, with enough steam that the bathroom was cloaked in it. Miya told Mayu to go wait in her room, and that she needed to get ready for bed.

So Masayuki was left alone with his Mom once again. She turned away from him and told him very quickly to take those shorts off and get in the tub. Masayuki while understanding the command was unsure of why she felt the need to give him any privacy, the doctors never gave him- and then he remembered that he wasn't with the doctors anymore. Things were supposed to be different here right? So he did as told and eased himself in the water was a bit too warm for his liking. In fact it seemed like this water didn't have any cold water in it, and his skin was beginning to turn red. What happened next was a bit unpleasant for both parties. With a scrub brush in hand, soap in the other, Masayuki experienced the roughest scrubbing in history over every part of his body, (he would've fought her but he knew that wouldn't have helped either way), she and Miya of course gave said scrubbing. She had thing about things be dirty and frankly wanted to scrub the sanitarium smell off of him. After she was done she did notice that, Masayuki's hair was actually blonde under all that filth, and his skin was even smoother than before, and of course he now smelled like candy due to that being the only body wash around. His face was bit red though, embarrassed by the whole scrubbing thing.

"Ne, next time I'll let you wash yourself okay?"

He nodded, still avoiding those yellow eyes, just clinging to his towel awaiting whatever was next.

Dressing him and tucking him in was pretty much uneventful. Other than Mayu peeking at him every couple seconds, then looking elsewhere whenever she noticed he could see her...and the fact that the two would be sharing a bed. But just before turning out the light, she leaned over and gave Masayuki one last kiss on his forehead, as well as patting the sleeping Mayu beside him.

"Good night you two, love you, sleep well ne?...Um I hope you liked everything...and I hope you'll like staying with us. Good night Masayuki~"

Love you.

Someone loves me?

_"It seems someone does love us."_

_"It's weird."_

_"But it's not bad."_

But even though this woman seemingly came out of the blue, he had no doubt in his mind that he loved her more than anything.

_Mom._

_Where did she go again? _

_Was she gone? _

He didn't know anymore, he was sure she left for business a few months ago. Just before he the voices came back in. She was the biggest buffer against the voices after all. He wanted her to come back. Maybe that's what he needed after all. He needed his mother. Mayu had been avoiding him since a month ago as well. She looked absolutely frightened by him now, and he frequently heard her on the phone with who he assumed was their mother asking when she'd be back. Was it about him? The fact that a dead body seemed to get up and move on her own was still bothering him. Did Mayu even know about any of that? These questions continued to wrack his mind until he felt it again in the pit of his stomach. Beginning to feel swarmed with remorse. Though it wasn't for the loving sister, who ceased her own life for the selfless sake of her brother, the man he deemed to be his only friend until his breaths were soon cut short, the girl he deemed to be a goddess and assuming now, she was an angel or even that stunning junior high girl he murdered simply because she irritated her and and himself. No it was the memories of that selfless girl, giving him a tingling sensation of self worth, love, and even care. Her death ringed through his head like a sickening movie that never ceased to do anything but repeat over and over. This particular death shook him to his very core and chilled him to his bones, even made his heart ache in severe pain. Even the voice within him seemed to waiver. weep and mourn the loss of his fleeting guardian angel. This continued for hours and hours, his head aching,his stomach churning, tears trickling down down the yandere who was becoming more yangire everyday's cheeks, recalling the grotesque event. He should have been able to stop or even see Haku's approach but...he hadn't. Having barely gasped the words, gritting his teeth as he kept weeping softly "I'm sorry...I'm sorry." Though his mourning had continued it had softened, only for the voice to once again to regain "stability", the booming voice soon piercing his ears.

_"You idiot!"_

_"Fool."_

_"To mourn over one who merely slowed you down is simply selfish..you foolish imbecile."_

It cried out so loudly, that Masayuki stopped crying momentarily, too intimidated to continue.

_"The only way to cure this blue..."_

_"Is with red..."_

Masayuki thought this over, only one thing darting into his mind upon hearing the word red. Akaito Shion.

Why Akaito though? There were plenty red heads throughout Crescendo High, CUL for example. But Akaito, the arrogant jock who was seemingly the biggest school flirt, the know it all who was rumored to seduce - and break many hearts. Because through his anger for Neru lied his strong disgust for the heartless scumbag. The thought that Akaito had even pecked Neru's cheek once irritated him. Akaito hadn't even attended Neru's funeral, though he was invited (He snuck in just to bid her farewell and pay his respects). Why though? Out of sheer sadness? It simply couldn't have been, since when could he express feelings of love, remorse, or even, sadness of all people. It always bounced off that impenetrable ego of his. He absolutely loathed the thought that one could show such intimacy (he was aware that Akaito did a lot more then flirt behind closed doors.) with another yet not develop feeling; lead them on for nothing. Disgusting. So he decided, assuming Akaito was nothing more than the cocky , athletic snob he deemed himself to be, he'd see how much pressure he'd surely burst under. And so that night Masayuki got out of bed, and headed towards the door, turning the knob and without any effort on his part it swung open...because Mayu was asleep against the door. On her lap was a plate of food, supposedly his dinner. Even if Mayu was frightened of him now, and not say why, she still played the role of the big sister perfect. He picked his sister up and laid her in his bed. Snuggling beside her, running a finger through her hair, quietly thanking her, she deserved that much. The memory of their first meeting still fresh in his mind as he dozed off. The soft sound of her breathing, and the warmth of it fanning against his neck was soothing, he did sleep better with a someone else beside him. And for the first time in a couple months, Masayuki dozed off into a peaceful sleep. No hallucinations, no voices, just the sound of his sister's breathing. He could plan out his return tomorrow...and one hell of a return it would be.

* * *

Masayuki was actually overwhelmed with the balloons and chocolate given to him by his homeroom teacher who looked so happy to see him back at school saying class was so dull without him around. Which was odd since, Masayuki didn't sing much in her class. Masayuki was happy that he had some chocolate either way. As the lunch bell rang, Masayuki saw him, his next victim, leaning back on a wall chatting with with Dell Honne and several other athletes, before nervously scurrying up to him.

"A-Akaito-kun?" had Masa said timidly, looking up at the jock. "I..I got some new weights...and was curious for you to try them. I think that not even YOU would be able to lift them." had Masayuki stuttered, this seemingly having brought a twinkle of excitement within the redhead's eyes.

"Heh...I bet I could." had he said flipping his red hair back. He was always one for a challenge.

Masayuki was resistimg the urge to roll his eyes about how stupid, and easy he was making this. He wanted Akaito to flex that mental muscle once and not so much his actual muscles for once. Did he even appear like the person to buy weights?

Nero's (who was stumbling out of class) heart had froze upon seeing Masayuki near Akaito, having known what he intended to do, if Neru's letter was correct. Fear and adrenaline started to wash over him, he darted over to the two barely gasping "Akaito-san...! I have something important to tell you after school...!"

Akaito however rolled his eyes, his interest remaining on Masayuki. "Eh, another day okay, kid?"

"But Akaito...!" had Nero begged, "it isn't about me...it was about Neru's last words...she mentioned you.." Nero was even in tears at this point, even beginning to weep. Though the smirk didn't cease it was clear Akaito was affected by hearing this.

"Ha...sorry, Masa...another night then."

Masayuki walked off nodding that he understood but he still shot Nero a dirty look, annoyed with the small blonde boy interfering with his plans, but as soon as Masayuki rounded the corner he was pulled into an empty classroom. Someone obviously wanted to chat with him.

* * *

It was after school and Nero dreadfully awaited Akaito's visitto his house, the boy quietly looking down at the letter his loving sister had wrote. Though, the wait wasn't long, he soon heard a knocking at the door. Nero sprung up to his feet, dragging himself to the door to let Akaito inside. He was shocked upon seeing him. Akaito was barely recognizable. His once messy, tough-looking hair was messed up, tangled and matted. His arrogant grin seeming to have faded within the mists. His dead looking, tired eyes practically begging for sleep. Never had he seen Akaito out of it in such a manner. Despite his shock, he allowed the red head senior inside, asking him to sit down. Akaito soon sunk into the chair, his body seeming more like a marionette cut of its strings. Silence had been between the two for minutes, them both looking deprived of happiness (and sleep), Nero having finally broke the silence.

"She...loved...you..." Nero could barely whisper, his cheeks soon turning puffy and red, fresh tears stinging his exhausted eyes. Akaito had however remained silent, as though begging for him to continue.

"Neru thought you would only hit on her to tease her...she thought you were in love with another girl..." he said looking down as he shook his head. "She came home CRYING, telling me of how she saw you kiss another girl, her eyes swollen with tears...when I asked her...her only response was...'It doesn't matter, I didn't love him anyways..." he paused slightly getting choked up, "but you were invited to her funeral, but you didn't come.." Nero's head soon dropped, the gasps and cries escaping him soon cutting off his own words. The arrogance Akaito once possessed soon withered away, himself tearing up.

"I had never received...an invitation...an idiot...It's what I've always been. Life's great for me a jock, an asshole, a ladies's man, but the one girl I had developed feelings for...has died, before I ever said..I love you..." This had only led to more tears, crying even harder as he leaned forward. "Neru...I'm so sorry! I'm an idiot...I should've just-"Akaito gasped, he hadn't been breathing the whole time sobbing a bit harder now. "...I'm going to see her grave, first thing in the morning." he swore, a sudden flicker of determination in his eyes.

"But...what about the game tomorrow? Prac-"

"To hell with that!" Akaito grunted cutting the younger boy off, soon standing up and he trudging out the door. "If the school asks why I'm absent tomorrow, tell them I'm doing something more important than the crap they teach here." and with that, he slammed the door, Nero's eyes widened in surprise. "B-But..Akaito.."

The next day, Nero's curiosity had gotten the best of him during school, he hadn't been able to focus for even a second on the subjects the teachers and students toiled on, he was more interested in what Akaito could be doing at Neru's grave. The dreadful hours ticked , only for his pain to be alleviated by the bell. Nero hadn't even wasted a second, hurrying to his sister's grave, terrified by the thought that perhaps Akaito would kill himself to be with Neru, it was safe to say he was stunned.

Surrounding Neru's grave were candles, flowers, her favorite foods, her multitude of cellphones, pictures of her from the worst to the best, all he deemed stunning, and there in the middle of her grave, was Akaito resting on his knees, sobbing out, "I'm sorry."

* * *

**Okay so this turned out longer than I imagined. Also for the people who read A Lie and A Stuffed Animal, I will reference that as well, and I will continue that story as well since I got a request to continue it. XD Anyway I hope you guys will stay with this series to the end and continue to support me writing it. There will be more backstory on Masa's psychosis as well in later stories because it's important to the story! O_O **


	6. Chapter 6

Time for a side story, just a bit about Masa and Mikuo. It was a particular incident I thought I'd mention before but it slipped my mind back in chapter three.

The Crescendo High Murders Side Story: The Letter Before H But Not Before A and Sometimes Y

There are a few things about Mikuo you should all know.

You see Mikuo is a very outspoken person. Never in his life has he held back a word on how he felt about anything or anyone. If he thought you were a fuck up by all means he would let you know. If he liked you, you would know. If he wanted you to get hit by a truck you better start looking out for trucks. Mikuo is and always will be extremely popular. Just a perk of one being a Hatsune in general and just being gorgeous from conception. So with that, it should be easy to tell that he always got whatever he wanted, the grade, the girl, and whatever else he wanted.

Why is this important?

Well you see, behind those blindingly good looks and cool demeanor was a boy so devoted to being the best he refused to be anything less than number one. Hell the numbers 01 were printed on his arm. This usually meant he was going to work himself until he crashed. Even now he was drenched in sweat, exhausted to the point of crashing, yet he was still moving, dancing until it was perfection. So if that meant he would be covered in sweat, tired for days, or injured it would be worth it to be for at least one moment. He would be Perfection. That was his goal with everything. His partners however...being Len Kagamine, and PPoiyo Matsuda didn't seem to be as motivated as he was. Len was already on the floor begging for a break, though he deserved one, they had been at this non-stop for nearly three hours. PPoiyo was a sleep which was pretty much expected from a guy with absolutely no motivation to do anything but sleep. Mikuo scoffed irritated that he had even been paired with these two. If he could keep moving through the pain then someone of Len's status (a true vocaloid) should have been able to out dance him, and well if someone could get PPoiyo to move at all then they deserved an award. Even so, even though every part of his body was screaming out that he stop even for a moment just to let them recuperate, he continued on with his routine. Lost in his own dancer's high he continued on, each step needed to be graceful no matter what, settling for okay was NEVER acceptable.

"M-Mikuo-kun?"

Mikuo managed to turn his head just a bit, though it resulted in him rocking forward, losing his balance and falling flat on his behind. He attempted standing but his body was worn out and on its own will locked down on him before he killed himself.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and a towel wiping his sweat away, the touch being gentle enough to make him actually relax. Though by this it didn't take him long to figure out who it was from these actions.

"Masayuki I thought you went home?"

And chimed in that small cute voice he had grown used to over the years, even with those stutters sprinkled throughout, but in those brief moments he would show how useful he was.

"J-Just give me an m-moment!"

He handed Mikuo a water, demanding he drink it and cool down. He rummaged through his bag that was covered in cat charms and other things and pulled out one soda can. The moment he opened it, PPoiyo sprang up from his sleep looking around for the source of the sound. His crimson eyes resting their gaze on the can in Masayuki's hand.

He reached out, wanting to take it from him obviously as he had a thing for carbonated drinks.

"PPoiyo you can have it...as soon as you do that routine for Mikuo-kun okay?"

PPoiyo looked entirely annoyed, and frankly wanted nothing more to drink that soda and go back to sleep, but if all he had to do was put on show for that rich brat then so be it. He stumbled trying to stand (his legs were not used to quick movements) but began the routine, from beginning to end, no mistakes to be seen just as perfectly as Mikuo had done so. The moment he finished he snatched the soda away from Masayuki and took a sip, looking euphoric from that point on. Masayuki though offended he had snatched the drink from him, was pretty much impressed with his performance. Mikuo however was the exact opposite.

"Why didn't you just do that from the beginning?!"

PPoiyo just glanced at him before laying back on the floor saying quietly:

"No motivation...plus annoying you is kind of fun."

Mikuo rolled his eyes, why their teacher found it necessary to pair him with the laziest guy in school he'd never know. Ms. Ann had said something briefly about pairing the best with the worst (then corrected worst to less motivated) would make the performance sparkle or something like that. His glance went back to Masayuki who was helping Len up, who for the most part looked a bit more energized, a banana hanging halfway out his mouth thanking Masayuki for the food.

Mikuo opened his mouth repeating his question from earlier. "Masayuki, I thought /you/ went home."

Masayuki scurried over, looking extremely sheepish and guilty, already starting to press his index fingers together in an annoying otaku like fashion.

"I...I wanted to go home...b-but I wanted t-to walk home with y-you!"

Mikuo raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on his own hip. "I've been here for three hours. You've been waiting for me for three hours?"

The timid blonde shook his head, his cheeks already beginning to turn red. As everyone already knew Masayuki was hopelessly attached to Mikuo, no matter where Mikuo was you could bet Masayuki wasn't too far behind. Being his shadow was pretty much his job. He was holding on tightly to Mikuo's arm when they walked anywhere much to the annoyance to some people. Masayuki was just one of those kids who was easy to pick on, being the crybaby he was. So he held onto to Mikuo for protection for the most part because no one dared to cross Mikuo. (As he had enough money to buy and sell you as he once said.)

"I...I wanted...I..."

Mikuo had raised his hand just enough to poke the blonde on his cheek, which made him stop talking, a usual reaction for some reason as well as puff his cheeks out.

"Also how did you manage to get those two to even get up? I've been trying for the better part of forty-five minutes."

Masayuki glanced at the other two people in the room for a moment before turning his gaze to the floor.

"Well...PPoiyo is really lazy and doesn't do much without some type of motivation though even that doesn't last very long...so I thought I'd give him a bit of incentive to work. By the looks of it he was listening to you...he just didn't have any real reason to actually move...and Len...well he's a great dancer...he was just tired. You have a lot of stamina you know?"

He started to shift a bit uncomfortably, believing Mikuo was upset with him for not going home (like he told him to do several times during the school day.) and even when he had nearly made it home...Masayuki turned around and ran back towards school. Whether it had been because he "accidentally" left his stuffed cat in his locker, or whether he didn't like being alone for his walks home he couldn't pinpoint. All he knew was that he wanted to be in Mikuo's presence again.

"We can go now, I'm sorry I made you wait okay?" He flashed him a small smile, removing his hand. "Don't get so worked up~"

Masayuki's face started turning red, crimson, and every possible shade of red at once. Mikuo's hand was always so warm…and soft and that was enough to make Masayuki reach out and grab his hand again. Placing it back on his cheek feeling the warmth spreading over his cheek again as he apologized again. It was in these brief moments that Masayuki could say he felt something for this tealnette Adonis he had the luck of befriending. He never acted on these emotions. Only because had no idea how to, but he didn't have to. Just being like this was enough. The moment probably would've lasted longer but somehow, PPoiyo found some energy to make one smart comment to ruin the whole thing.

"You know...if I didn't know any better...I'd say you two were dating."

Two very different reactions occurred. Mikuo simply raised his middle finger, not bothering to even look in his direction.

Masayuki however was the exact polar opposite.

Though it wasn't audible, Masayuki's heart was ready to beat out his chest or worse- explode. Though Masayuki wasn't particularly bright when it came to romance he did have quite the overactive imagination that itself was a big problem. Having moments like this with Mikuo, while they weren't rare were known to make him overheat or worse when his mind wandered. Having someone even put an idea like that in his head was enough to make him blow a gasket.

Today the reaction was the worse option.

Masayuki's opened his mouth trying to warn Mikuo of the inevitable but before he could do so his eyes began flashing 0's and 1's. He began to shake, stepping back a bit not wanting to fall on anyone (though in retrospect Masayuki was rather light) and eventually he blue screened, crashed, and fell over.

His system simply couldn't handle things like this.

While they were technically all androids, Vocaloids, Fanloids, and even Utauloids were closer to humans than robots. They got sick, fell in love, they even got hungry, but they still had the issues one would find with certain electronics such as blue screening. So the occasional blue screen wasn't a bad thing, though Masayuki was one of the few known for doing it more often than others. Mikuo however couldn't seem to figure out why he only did it around him. He had enough time to think about it since he was carrying Masayuki home, since he had yet to reboot or wake up on his own.

Masayuki however was mumbling something, it wasn't very intelligible but he could make out "suki" and "teru", but he couldn't quite place what he could possibly be talking about.

He mused over several reasons on the way to Masayuki's manor between his mumbling and blue screening, one being how highly naive and innocent Masayuki was. Everything was either new to him, or too dirty to be explained to him. When they started Sex Ed at school, initially they (everyone) refused to let him take it. They kind of thought he'd explode or worse. Though when he asked Masayuki about it, he said he had no interest in the class, because "he didn't know what a sex was". Mikuo didn't have the heart to correct him...and was too busy holding in a laugh to correct him. He did have to say in those moments, Masayuki was adorable to say the least in those instances even the way he whimpered out his name trying to apologize, sometimes it made him want to lean over and...and...

The train of thought ended there. He wasn't quite sure what lied at the end the sentence and at the moment they didn't want to investigate what might lie there, if anyone corrupted that innocence it wasn't going to be him.

Mikuo managed to walk to Masayuki's house, too occupied with not thinking to see if Masayuki had woken up at some point during the walk. Even though he really shouldn't have been able to do so in his condition he had even made it up the hill, though the sun was already setting over the horizon, the sky vibrant shades of orange pink and even purple and it was very slowly beginning to cool down. When he approached the massive black painted wooden door he knocked on the door and explained to a nearly, completely hysterical Mayu what happened, making it very clear no one had hurt him he just you know...did what he usually did.

Mayu let him inside and let him set the unconscious boy on his side on the couch. She rested a hand on his forehead making sure he was cooling down and then pulled Mikuo into the kitchen saying something under the lines that she needed to talk to him outside of earshot.

Mikuo of course sat down at the dining table, but looked bewildered and scared all at once. While he found Masayuki to be the harmless one, being the boy he was, Mayu was the opposite. She was yandere in every sense of the word, the entire school was in shock when a guy actually asked her out. He was also praised for his bravery. After that her yandere tendencies died down a lot, but much but he, like the rest of the school was still afraid of her.

"Ne, Mikuo-kun...what do you think of Masayuki?" She looked and sounded very serious though she was almost always serious when it came to her bumbling younger brother.

"He's my best friend, what am I supposed to think about him?"

"So...you like him?"

"I would assume so...what's this all about?"

She shook her head and turning away from him, watching her brother on the couch with a brief worried expression before turning her attention back to him.

"You know how Masayuki...kind of always blue screens when he's around you?"

"For the most part yes...I didn't know it really was /only/ around me though."

She shook her head, wherever this conversation was about to go she looked afraid to go there though she felt it needed to go there.

"Just be careful about Masayuki's feelings okay? I know he doesn't come off as yandere as I do...but I'm afraid he might start showing some signs if you aren't careful...because I think...he likes you way more than you think."

"And by that you mean-"

"I'm almost one hundred percent Masa...likes you...in /that/ way, and I'm over one hundred percent sure you like him /that/ way too."

Mikuo blinked a few times, because rather bluntly...Mayu had called both he and her brother gay. He had no problem with the whole gay thing, but being rather sure he was straight he didn't like it even being insinuated that he was. Sure he was flattered but he didn't swing that way and if it was true he didn't want it to continue.

"Well I'm sure you're wrong. I don't feel /that/ way about him."

"Are you sure about that Mikuo?"

"Y-Yes!"

Mayu sighed wagging a gloved finger in his direction like a metronome repeating tsk tsk tsk.

"Just know he really likes you Mikuo, okay?"

Mikuo raised a finger wanting to know what she was referring to. Had Masayuki actually said these things? Had he told her he liked or even loved him? But before he could bulldoze her with these questions she quickly began pushing towards the door, and while he should have been able to stop her (having the height and weight here), Mayu was a lot stronger than she looked and before he knew it he was outside.

It was completely dark by this point and chillier than Mikuo would've liked, he could even see his own breath.

"Get home safely okay? I think there might be some coyotes out at this time...or that might just be Rook howling at the moon again." The door slammed shut the moment her sentence her ended, leaving Mikuo cold, confused, disgusted, and wary of both any wild animals...and Rook all the way home.

* * *

The next day at school though he hadn't done it intentionally...Mikuo very quickly began distancing himself from Masayuki. He didn't want to hurt Masayuki's feelings should he actually feel that way. He wasn't the kind of guy to lead anyone on, so he thought he'd just break it off before anything happened.

When he saw the overly cheerful boy making a beeline for him, as it was custom for Masayuki to tackle hug (glomp) Mikuo every morning, Mikuo sidestepped and Masayuki toppled and slid onto the ground. It was hard enough to knock off one of the many hairclips out of the boy's hair. He looked up confused seeing as it was the first time he missed or Mikuo had deliberately moved out the way.

"Mikuo-kun...? Why'd you-"

"Sorry...it's just that I'm late for my first period!"

Masayuki looked at the school clock resting just above the doorway of a nearby classroom. It read eight-eleven, meaning Mikuo's first period didn't start until nearly an hour from now. He was lying or rather didn't know what time it was.

"But Mikuo it's only-"

But Masayuki quickly noticed that Mikuo had already run off somewhere. At first he thought nothing of it, perhaps he hadn't had enough sleep the night before, but quickly noticed that Mikuo was really going out of his way to ignore him. On several occasions throughout the day in which it was certain he'd see the overachieving tealnette he couldn't seem to catch him. He didn't sit in his normal seats in any of his classes, all which were conveniently right next to Masayuki. He didn't eat lunch with him seemed he went home for lunch, though he had never done so before. And when the day ended and he hoped to ask him what was wrong when they walked home, he heard Mikuo skipped his last period and went home early.

Masayuki in every sense was confused, baffled, disturbed, and everything else in between. Surely Mikuo was just busy, but even so he had never completely ignored the boy. He always in the very least told him goodbye, even when he was mad at him.

Masayuki had no choice really to walk home by himself after school. His stuffed cat in his arms squeezed tightly against his chest. Tears streaming down his cheeks no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that nothing was wrong this weird feeling he had in the pit of his stomach, one that was telling him that things were very very wrong. Something was wrong with Mikuo or maybe there was something wrong with him? This had to be the fault of his own actions surely. Mikuo always voiced whenever something bothered him unless he knew it really couldn't be said aloud. Though these thoughts weren't helping him in anyway, it was only making him cry some more. Masayuki shuddered briefly because in this uncomfortable silence he could hear them. The tiniest of voices in his head and it made him quicken his pace home. If he didn't hurry...someone or something was going to get hurt.

Why was Mikuo suddenly avoiding him?

Because he doesn't like you anymore.

Had he done something wrong?

You're always doing something wrong.

Maybe Mikuo was upset about having to carry him home?

Of course he was, why should he have had to carry you home?

But...

Mikuo doesn't want you around anymore. Face the facts.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Mikuo's number the moment he made it home, Mikuo was bound to be home by now right?

He was begging that Mikuo pick up his phone, to save him from the darkness inside of his head. The tears spilling down his cheeks and the uncontrollable shaking were evidence enough that Masayuki wasn't the most stable of people. He needed things to be constant to function properly. He needed Mikuo to pick up his damn phone.

He waited, it was ringing in the very least, but after the second ring...it was sent to voicemail.

For the rest of the afternoon and the night Masayuki kept trying to contact Mikuo until his phone died.

And maybe just maybe he died a little inside as well.

He kept saying "Mikuo will talk to me tomorrow, surely he'll look for me tomorrow."

And he repeated that for a month.

He found himself every day after school lying in the woods behind his house crying. On occasion a rabbit or two would pass by and he would chase them about just to get his mind off of things. Chase them down the rabbit hole and there he would disappear for a few hours...and usually wake up with dark stains all over his shirt, scratch marks lining his arms, it just wasn't a pretty sight.

How long had he been crying? He couldn't say. The sun that had been high overhead when he began was now very close to completely disappearing beyond the horizon.

Tears were dried to his cheeks, he had been crying hard enough he had vomited on himself...but even so he had grown used to it. Crying until he fainted or crying until he made himself sick was beginning to be a normal occurrence. All he could do was cry without Mikuo. He tried plenty a time to confront him about abandoning him, but he always got the same response.

Sorry. I'm just really busy.

It was painful. Very painful. And the only remedy for his pain was crying. Somehow for those few moments the tears would wash away the pain.

He would ask, "When...when did I become so pathetic?"

You've always been this way. Ever since you were created. Even now...is this best you can do?

Masayuki stood, albeit he was still trembling and his clothes were still soaked in tears and bits of dried bile, but he stumbled back towards his house. He quietly pulled the large black oak door open, hoping no one was downstairs, he didn't want to explain what he was doing in the woods for hours alone. That already sounded wrong.

By this time Mayu had already gone to bed, but she still left his dinner out on the table as she always did, still warm as when she cooked it. As annoying as Mayu seemed to Masayuki (even more so since being rather depressed made him irritable) she still did whatever she could to cheer him up, though it was wasted. Masayuki just wasn't hungry. So the small lolitaloid headed upstairs, his gaze going towards his mother's room. It had been empty since she left a few weeks ago. He wondered how she would have handled this. So he wandered inside her room. They weren't supposed to go inside there when she wasn't home but he thought it might cheer him up. His mother's room was a testament to old Gothic rooms. It just had a creepy vibe even with the lights on, but when she was home it was just as cozy as anywhere else. It smelled like her in here as well, as well her cat who always wandered elsewhere when she wasn't home. (It wasn't particular fond of Mayu or Masayuki as it hissed whenever they got near.) He stripped himself of his soiled clothing and rummaged through her dirty clothes hoping to find something that still smelled strongly of her. Her scent was comforting and he wanted to try to sleep tonight. He was luckily able to find one thing. A long black shirt he remembered she slept in just before she left. It was wrinkled and was something dark staining the side. He didn't care much to figure out what it was and just pulled it over his head before crawling into her bed. He always wondered why his mother needed such a big bed, (it was a king sized bed) but he heard she was married before so perhaps that's why. It just seemed too big even for a couple, but at the moment it was exactly what he needed to doze off almost immediately. The soft plush mattress against his exhausted body, the cool silk sheets against his skin, her warm scent filling his nose was everything he needed.

Though even though he was trying not to, he still dreamed of Mikuo as he always did. In his dream though, he managed to ask Mikuo what he had done wrong.

Mikuo didn't answer, or rather his silence was his answer. He just reached his hand out, expecting Masayuki to take a hold of it which he did. He didn't know where he was leading him, but he knew he'd follow him anywhere, no matter where it led. He would lead Masayuki down a dark corridor towards a white door. But before he ever opened it he always managed to wake up.

Maybe these last few weeks had been a dream; maybe nothing he had experienced was real.

Even so even if it was, telling Mikuo how he felt wouldn't mean a thing.

Mikuo obviously wanted nothing to do with him.

He hated him now surely. He must've done something wrong. After all Mikuo was perfection. Imperfection irritated him more than anything.

So Masayuki was flawed in some way, and he'd do everything he could to fix that.

After all MIkuo was all he really had that was his.

* * *

While Masayuki had pretty much tried to ignore the sudden loneliness he felt as Mikuo's silence treatment continued, it was apparent to everyone else around him that something was wrong. May it had been the sudden scars on his arms or maybe how he slowly began dressing much more like his sister, in all black. He would just point out that he was a klutz so the scars were just from various accidents. He would say he just didn't feel well enough to dress in his usual bright colors. He was fine. But he was lying. While truth really was he wasn't causing himself any self-harm, he was only dressing in all those bright colors because Mikuo had told him too. Something about he needed to be different from his sister if he expected people to notice him and not call him a simple gender bend and actually remember his name. (For a brief period people were calling him Mayuo, Mayo, Muyo, and other ridiculous non-creative parodies of his sister's name.) So he did as he was told, Mikuo bought him a whole new wardrobe, and told him how to dress. Even then he was very obedient. Needless to say people could tell the difference between the two now. Now without any real instruction he found no reason to continue dressing that way. As far as he knew he didn't really exist without Mikuo.

It was obvious that this wasn't that bouncing blonde boy anymore, and the longer it continued...the more people went to Mikuo to fix it. Some were a bit nicer about it than others. Mayu herself told him if he didn't apologize soon he'd find himself buried in the school garden too. Though it sounded more like a concerned warning than a threat. She had also said if he should do it as soon as possible because the local rabbit population near her house wouldn't be able to take it much longer. He had no idea what she meant but he had no time to figure out what Mayu was talking about. Mikuo would just say that nothing was wrong and that he was just really busy and that's why he didn't have time to deal with Masayuki at the moment. Though he knew that wasn't the case. He was just bothered with the idea that Masayuki that could very possibly harbor unwanted romantic feelings for him. He thought spending time apart would quite possibly break his dependence on him but in all actuality it was only causing a bigger problem. He was in every sense of the word destroying Masayuki. The boy wasn't going to class, he wasn't eating he was just...wandering around the school like a ghost. Like he was looking for someone to tell him where to go. To save him. And though he didn't really need to say it, he missed Masayuki terribly. Nothing was the same for him without that bumbling blonde trotting behind him, or holding onto his waist. Even when he went through his dance routine during class it was full of mistakes, and downright sloppy. All this time...had he been pushing himself for Masayuki?

Maybe he did need to talk to Masayuki, just a bit. He'd do it soon.

"Soon...I'll talk to him...soo-"

"Now."

Mikuo turned almost groaning when he found the source of the voice.

"What do you want Miku?"

There before him stood the twintailed teal haired diva herself or as he referred to her the annoying leek scented younger sibling, (she didn't actually smell like leeks but still) or pest...parasite...or bitch. Depending on how annoying she was being.

"Nothing. I just heard you thinking out loud so I finished your thought for you."

"Look. Miku I don't need-"

"Your help , blah blah blah. Yeah sure. Just saying if I were you I'd apologize before..he kills someone you know?"

"...What?"

Miku placed a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes, sometimes her brother could be so clueless.

"I don't know, I've heard that sometimes depressed humans you know, shoot up their schools from time to time beyond the screen. I know Masayuki seems harmless but it's always the quiet ones."

Mikuo paled for a second, Mayu's warning floating through his head once more.

"You don't really think he'd-"

"I don't know, I mean doesn't he just seem like he has a few screws loose up there? Anyway I'm off, Luka and I have a lunch date."

Miku turned away but just before she skipped down the hall she said one more time, "Today Mikuo!"

So when the bell rang for lunch Mikuo headed to the bathroom, he could think in peace in there at least. Think over what to say but when he walked inside he stopped.

He could hear hushed crying, and another voice trying to soothe it.

"You'll be fine okay? You don't need to beat yourself up over this anymore, if he wants to ignore you then that's his prerogative."

"B-But...I need..."

"You don't need him!"

"He's my friend..."

"What kind of friend would do this to you or anyone for that matter?! Mikuo is an ass-"

"Please don't call him names...I don't like it."

"But but he's-"

"I don't care about any of that. I love Mikuo-kun no matter what he does...sure it hurts, but I'm sure...I'm really sure...that he doesn't hate me..."

The crying soon continued afterwards, it sounded like the person as choking on their tears helpless to do anything but show how much pain they were in. Mikuo froze and walked into the nearest stall, hiding, this was too soon to be confronted with his problems dead on like this. He knew that crying sounded a bit too familiar, though considering they were talking about him...it should have been obvious. He did feel a pang of guilt for making Masayuki cry though. He didn't hate Masayuki, and the thought that he even possibly thought he did made him feel even worse.

"In fact, Masa-chan, Mom will be home today, she'll make you feel better."

The crying dissipated into sniffles, the statement being enough to calm down Masayuki for the most part.

"M-Mommy is coming home today?"

"Mhm, she called this morning but you had already headed off to school! But since she'll be home by the time school's over, cheer up okay? I doubt she wants to come home to a depressed version of you."

Mikuo heard a small shuffle, and a few zipper sounds and clothes hitting the floor, and surprised squeak from what he could now recognize as Mayu's voice.

"Masa! Put your clothes-!"

"I'm putting on my normal clothes and going home! I want to see Mom now!"

"Masa you can't just cut class like that, you'll- wait...you've been carrying around your normal clothes this whole time?"

"Mhm...and why? You cut class with Kaito last week."

"That was different! He was helping me try to cheer you up!"

"Still counts."

After a moment of petty sibling bickering and a few more zipper sounds, the bathroom began to fill with a candy scent. The same smell that Mikuo was missing terribly. It in all senses it was sweet. An overly sumptuous blend of créme and golden plum laced with a swirl of sugared musk, pink jasmine and wild strawberries. (Mikuo had read the perfume bottle before and assumed that it knew what it smelled like.) It was just too much. He knew he didn't care for sweets but Masayuki was different sweet altogether. It nearly made him want to run out of the stall.

"Bye Mayu!"

And then the door shut, opened and shut once more signaling that both occupants of the bathroom had left and Mikuo could exit the stall.

It took him a moment but Mikuo pulled out his phone and texted Masayuki. He swallowed. He knew in all seriousness that Masayuki wouldn't ignore the text message. He would at the very least read it, but would he actually reply back?

I'm sorry. Meet me in the parking lot?

Maybe he could have a sorry in a more effective fashion? Hell he wouldn't accept a simple apology for his behavior. That didn't stop Mikuo for from going out to the parking lot and waiting anyway. It didn't stop him even when it was very clear that Masayuki wasn't coming.

It was completely dark before Mikuo drove home, though it was a slow drive home, he didn't want to be too far away if Masayuki did show up.

* * *

After hearing an earful from his butler and maid for getting home at "Ungodly hours of the night", Mikuo headed upstairs gritting his teeth and even flipped off both of them as he rounded the corner, hearing his bath was already prepared. It was often a shame that the hired help minded him better than his own parents at times but he never really liked to dwell on that, he already had enough problems in his life.

He stripped himself of his school uniform and other dressings and briefly noted that even though he had been wearing it all day and even worked out in it, it smelled more like Masayuki then himself. It wasn't a bad scent either because Masayuki always had a particularly girly scent about him, regardless of his perfume. Being it was either candy or something sickeningly sweet permeating from him always, it had bothered him when they first met but now he had to admit he loved it more than anything now, it being one of the few constant things in his life. Though recently it wasn't very constant. And even though he hadn't come in contact with Masayuki, that's how strong his perfume was.

He slid into the hot water, his muscles screaming out in relief as eased the rest of him in the water until just the very tip of his head was visible. The steam and heat were enough to clear his mind for the moment. In these moments he wasn't a Hatsune or anyone. He was just nothing and left at peace.

I know he doesn't come off as yandere as I do but I'm afraid he might start showing signs if you aren't careful.

At first that didn't really mean anything to him when she first brought it up. Masayuki was about as close to yandere as he was. Masayuki was the guy to get bit by a spider for pulling a butterfly from its web and not even swat at the spider. But even so if Mayu actually seemed concerned and now it was starting to make him think.

Yanderes in general only act violent when some gets too close to their object of affection (i.e. When Mayu buried Yukari in the school garden when she looked at Kaito in the slightest of affectionate ways. Long story short Yukari transferred.) But he didn't see why that pertained to him. If he started doing that...it would mean Masayuki loved him in a romantic and not in the friendly way anymore.

In retrospect though it should have been obvious that Masayuki felt this way, he had been giving of very strong signs that he did but was probably too oblivious to realize it. Though it didn't seem plausible anymore at the moment. As Masayuki hadn't done anything remotely violent...yet.

Mikuo stopped thinking about it after that and just began cleaning himself up, he didn't want to believe that Masayuki felt that way about anything (remember this is the boy who thought sex was an object) but if he did he didn't want it to continue with him at least. He also was too keen on him doing anything violent. Granted he knew he liked Masayuki but he wasn't sure if he even remotely felt that way about him, but then that sentence appeared in his head again.

It makes me want to lean over and...

And what?

Kiss him? Hold him? Do everything to him?

Mikuo himself knew he was straight. Regardless of the image he had to put on for a show or art, he definitely didn't enjoy any second of it. He never really had any other thoughts about any male he ever came across, being as outspoken as he was he didn't have many male friends to begin with...but when it came to Masayuki he knew he had to dial it back sometimes. Sure he was tough on him but that was only so one day Masayuki could stand up for himself if ever he wasn't attached to his hip. He knew he liked the closeness between them in fact he never had a real problem with anything when Masayuki was around, he was even told he had become a bit more hospitable to people when he was around. He knew now that Masayuki seemed even more clingy than usual. The hugs were longer and occasionally Masayuki would hold his hand. He never thought anything of it. Or rather he didn't want to think anything of it. And even though he tried distancing himself from him, it only ended up making him miss all of his overly affectionate ways. Maybe because he wasn't ready to admit...that possibly...he might feel the same way?

No. Not possible.

He knew very well he loved Masayuki at the most as a younger brother. Nothing was going to change that.

And for the first time, Mikuo felt very unsure about himself. Mayu's slight interrogation was still fresh in his head and was keeping him from thinking clearly.

With that Mikuo sank further into the tub staring at the ceiling from under the water. Why was his life always throwing curve-balls at him? It seemed that whenever he had gotten used to anything, things just fell apart soon after. Maybe he should just stay under these waves in pure silence.

Regardless of how he felt, Mikuo found himself in bed not too much later, not bothering to tell his younger sister goodnight, and dozed off into an uneasy sleep...or at least he was trying to. As soon as he shut his eyes his phone began buzzing with a familiar tune playing in his ear...Nekomimi Archive. It was Masayuki's ringtone because he for about three months wouldn't stop humming it over and over. Making the cutest sounding nya sounds even. A sound he hadn't heard in quite some time.

Mikuo nearly fell out his bed as he waited for it to buzz off his dresser into in his hand because he wasn't getting out of bed right now.

When it finally did, he lazily swiped the screen to answer holding it up to his ear trying to act calm.

"Y-Yo?"

There was a sigh of relief and soon a reply.

"I...I didn't wake you did I?"

"No. I can't sleep anyway...what's up?"

"S-Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're the one who..um...!"

Mikuo raised a slim teal eyebrow at that, managing to sit up for the moment already imagining the painfully embarrassed expression on the younger blonde's face. It was like for a moment Masayuki was going to lecture him.

"I'm sorry okay Masa? I just haven't been feeling very well and I took it out on you."

"S-So you aren't mad at me?"

"No, I never was okay?"

"Good...cause I was almost mad at you!"

Mikuo heard a slight rustling over the phone. Sheets perhaps? Maybe Masayuki was getting ready for bed as well.

"Mikuo-kun...I was wondering...could you come over? I know it's late but...I could use some company."

"Isn't Mayu home with you?"

"No...She's at her boyfriend's place for the night...and it's too quiet here for me to sleep...so can you come over?"

"Isn't your Mom home?"

"She's out on business...so please?"

"I don't know...I'm not really in the best condition to walk or drive..."

And in the smallest yet the most effective attempt to sound cuter than his voice already sounded Masayuki whined out: "Pleeeeeeeeeeease? You owe me you know?"

While Mikuo himself would've preferred to stay home in his bed he found himself getting out of bed and putting his shoes on. He found himself taking his sister's keys and her stupid teal Volkswagen all before really even said yes to Masayuki in the first place but then again, but who could say no to him?

With Masayuki on speaker phone though the car ride was enjoyable to say the least. He could hear Masayuki making what sounded like one mess of the kitchen, the sounds of pots hitting the counters, spoons landing in the sink, Masayuki excitedly babbling about how much he had missed him, all the while he had yet again began humming Nekomimi Archive the annoyingly catchy melody filling a rather half asleep tealnette's ears as he managed to park his sister's car in the driveway. Yes he knew while driving tired was a bad idea, he figured if he did it might as well be in his sister's car and not his. He wasn't going to risk getting even the slightest of scratches on his car.

He stumbled out of the car and walked the fifteen or so steps up to the door and raised his hand to knock, but before his hand hit the door it swung open and two very slender arms wrapped his waist, a cheery squeal like sound shocking him awake. He probably would've fell backwards if Masayuki hadn't pulled him inside so in that case he fell forward and on top of the boy, who was too busy laughing to realize how inappropriate this position was.

It was a moment before either moved Mikuo's reactions being rather slow since he was still somewhat tired and Masayuki who was just beginning to stop giggling about whatever he found funny about the entire situation.

Mikuo managed to sit up and roll back up to the standing position, offering a hand to Masayuki before immediately retracting his offer a bit bothered by his friend's state of dress.

Masayuki was currently clad in a black nightcap, frilled around the edges hiding his platinum blonde hair, though tufts were peaking out here and there. Below that he was clad in a black...silk...nightie...for women and for a moment his jaw dropped, his heart raced, and made him seriously start questioning which head was doing his thinking at the moment.

"Masayuki...why are you wearing a dress?"

The boy tilted his head to the side confused by the question, a bit of his unconcealed hair falling into his face.

"Dress?" he finally managed to say, "What dress?"

"The one you have on right now!"

"Mikuo-kun...this isn't a dress. It's a nightgown." Though it wasn't said, Mikuo could hear the resounding 'Duh' behind those words.

"I know what a nightgown is, and that is definitely...NOT one."

Masayuki puffed his cheeks out, a sign he was annoyed, and wagged a finger at him.

"It's a nightgown. I got it from the boy's aisle like everyone else does...and besides even the tag says nightgown."

Mikuo knew at this point arguing with Masayuki about something so trivial was basically pointless since nothing really got past the impenetrable bubble of naivety he was encased in. It wasn't even the dress that really bothered him in the first place it was the length. The damn thing was just barely covering his upper thigh, one wrong move and Mikuo would probably end up seeing something he didn't want to see. Mikuo though had to admit, Masayuki being pretty slender had some really nice, smooth looking legs for a guy, which was almost disturbing. How had a boy been blessed with such feminine beauty? He briefly wondered how those legs would look wrapped around his waist...then he reminded himself that he was completely heterosexual male and shouldn't be eye humping his best friend who was one hundred percent male like this or at all for that matter.

This was Mayu's fault. She put the notion in his head and now he couldn't stop. It was like she planted the seed in his head and it was blooming and overgrowing every possible part of his mind that was totally against what was sitting right in front of him. Every thought that was basically asking him to really cross the line of decency and sexuality with someone who had no idea what sexuality even was. And at the moment he was pretty close to giving in.

"Masayuki who even went with you to buy those? You should return them."

"Ritsu and Ruko-chan, why? Mayu even said it was cute. She said since you were sleeping over...I should wear it...she had this weird look on her face though after she said it."

The tealnette bit down on his lip, holding back from calling a certain yandeloid every word in the book in seven different languages. Was this Mayu's idea of a joke?

"I'll let you decide everything that's wrong with that." Mikuo said as he shook his head, and patted the boy on the head before walking towards the kitchen, a pleasantly sweet aroma drifting from the open door, the confused blonde trotting not too far behind him.

The thing was Masayuki lived with his mother and his sister and Mikuo was really the only male contact the boy had. Masayuki had mentioned briefly his father had died in an accident. (Something about him becoming a soggy lump of blood and flesh on in the library). So in reality that was part of the reason Masayuki behaved a bit too femininely at times, also why he had the common sense of a five year old and was pretty air-headed at times going along with pretty much everything he heard. Which might explain why he let a crossdresser and whatever Ruko was, talk him into buying obviously female clothes, and even worse it seemed that Mayu had planned this.

Upon reaching the kitchen however Mikuo was able to see what was making all the noise he had heard earlier over the phone. Lining the counters, table, and even still a batch in the oven were cookies. The entire kitchen smelling of chocolate, vanilla, and everything sugar so much so it was enough to make one sick.

"Masayuki...did you bake all of these...tonight?"

Masayuki beamed, handing him a cookie and answering with a curt nod that he in fact had been baking these within the short time between leaving school and Mikuo's arrival. So about the span of four or so hours.

"I was planning on giving what was left over to some of the teachers at school so don't eat all of them! Also...you think Ms. Ann likes cookies?"

"I'm sure she'll eat anything coming from her favorite student." Is what Mikuo was attempting to say but it was pretty muffled by the several cookies he had and was still shoving in his mouth.

Mikuo wasn't much of a sweet person, he enjoyed the occasional ice cream cone or slice of cake but he could honestly care less for sweets, but whenever his friend baked them they honestly were irresistible and he had been without them for nearly two month now. Masayuki might not have been able to cook very well, but baking was another story. As he frequently heard his homeroom teacher said, you could taste the love put into the food…you know unless someone is trying to poison you. And that's usually when she told us a scarring story from her past that gives us all another reason to wonder how and why she was hired in the first place.

"Mikuo-kun? Do you want some milk? You'll choke if you keep that up you know?"

Mikuo however couldn't answer him. You see as Masayuki was standing on his tippy-toes his none to appropriate attire was now resting high enough for Mikuo to get a good look at what laid underneath. Despite being rather skinny, Masayuki had a very shapely derrière for a boy. Besides the fact that his underwear, which for all Mikuo knew probably were panties (though they were bloomers), were far too girly to be a boy and it only accentuated his shape.

He nearly choked on what he had in his mouth, what the hell was going on right now? For a moment he was sure he had been transported into a poorly written porn scenario. All this was missing was a pizza delivery guy.

"Mikuo-kun? Do you want anything to drink? You can have anything you want." Masayuki repeated, thinking perhaps Mikuo himself hadn't heard him.

Mikuo breezed past Masayuki and headed for the fridge. He needed a drink. Though he soon was a bit bewildered by the drinks available. In the corner in a red container was from what the label said water. Next to it was juice, then green tea, and then there was a large selection of wine. One he particularly knew of was the bottle of Screaming Eagle, one he saw his own mother drink once. It was very hard to get some around here and at the same time it was just as expensive. He didn't know much about Masayuki's own economic status but it seemed to be really out of place here, but he didn't really care how anyway as long as he had some. He had asked his mother for some but she made some slurred comment that meant no from the tone. Mikuo by no means an alcoholic but he had drank a few times before. He liked the sensation of being drunk but he preferred not to do it too much, and really only indulged if no one was home. And since it was clear no one would be home until morning...he planned on taking this lovely opportunity to do so with some quality wine. If he was going to survive this night without questioning his own sanity and sexuality among other things he was going to need a strong drink.

He pulled the bottle out and placed it on the counter, but as he went to get a glass, Masayuki stopped him.

"M-Mikuo...I don't think we're supposed to drink that stuff...!"

Mikuo raised an eyebrow but still went to pull out two glasses.

"Have you even had wine Masayuki?"

"Wine? No...Not that I know of. I don't think Mommy ever gave me any...so I assumed I'm not supposed to drink any."

"Well tonight...I think is a good night to try something new."

Mikuo popped the cork off the bottle and poured himself some into the crystal glass. Masayuki watching him, eyes filled with curiosity. Watching the crimson liquid fill the glass to the rim, as Mikuo brought it up to his lips sipping away all the excess liquid. He did the same to the other glass, and handed it to Masayuki who still very cautiously eyed Mikuo, wondering if this was really okay.

In that moment Mikuo knew very well that he was about to break at least one part of Masayuki's innocence down. He wondered what kind of drunk Masayuki would be. Quiet, Angry, depressed maybe? Maybe he'd be the complaining drunk?

Masayuki then pressed his lips to the glass and very slowly drank it down.

He didn't particularly like the taste. It reminded him of how rubbing alcohol smelled, but if Mikuo liked it then he would like it too. After all if someone as perfect as Mikuo liked it couldn't be too bad right?

From then on though, Mikuo and Masayuki pretty much just chatted about anything either could randomly think of, though neither dared ask what had Mikuo on edge for the past month. Though after a few glasses of wine it was apparent that Masayuki was drunk. Mikuo who actually had any more past his first glass was just enjoying the show. Masayuki couldn't seem to walk straight and then found it easier to just crawl behind Mikuo whenever the elder boy found a reason to move elsewhere in the house, as he didn't wasn't about to risk walking into a wall again. That nightgown of his was slipping past his shoulders as he began rocking back and forth humming something unintelligible.

"Hey...Masayuki...do you want to take this party upstairs?," Mikuo held his hand out, either way no matter what his answer was, Masayuki didn't look like he could even stand up at this point. "You look like you're close to passing out."

Masayuki nodded drunkenly attempting to stand on his own but only succeeded in falling into Mikuo causing the pair to fall onto the floor, almost like how they greeted each other when he had first arrived.

Neither moved, Mikuo from shock, Masayuki from some sheer hilarity he pulled out of this scenario.

"Stand...up much?" Masayuki finally managed to giggle out.

Masayuki's familiar scent filling his nose, the sound of his breathing filling his ears, and the underlying scent of alcohol filling his nose.

If Masayuki didn't move soon, he was more likely than not going to have more than a headache to deal with tomorrow.

Mikuo holding onto Masayuki sat up, having him somewhat situated in his lap. His face only inches away from his own.

"Masayuki...can I ask you something?"

"Ne...goooo...ahead?"

Mikuo leaned a bit closer, the distance between them closing until his lips were almost too close for his comfort.

"...Masayuki...you don't ever think of our friendship...as more than just friends...do you?"

Masayuki's face went red for a moment and he looked in pretty much every other direction except right at Mikuo.

While Masayuki's brain was busy stalling up, Mikuo had pretty much come to terms with what he wanted. He wouldn't say he was gay but saying he was bi seemed to be a bit of a stretch if he had only been attracted to what he barely believed could be called a guy. This was just a simple bromance. He wouldn't call it anything else.

"U-Um...Mikuo-kun...I'm not sure what you've heard...but I'm not gay." Masayuki finally managed to say.

What.

Mikuo released his grip on Masayuki and flailed his arms back and forth causing the poor lolitaloid to fall backwards and hit the ground.

"Eh? I-I'm not gay either!"

"Then why would you ask me that?!"

"B-Because you...you..!"

"Because what?! I've never even said I like you like that!"

"M-Mayu said-!"

"Mayu doesn't know what she's talking about! Besides...I like Rin-chan..."

And awkward silence fell over the two for a moment, until Masayuki began laughing drunkenly before starting the whole arguement over again.

The two continued yelling until both began to start laughing (and Mikuo also fell over), realizing that this whole situation had been the result of misguided assumptions. In that moment it was like all was right with the universe.

"Mikuo-kun...you're an idiot you know? All you had to do was ask me about that you know?" Masayuki finally said quietly. "I really thought you were mad at me."

"I said I was sorry didn't I?" Mikuo mumbled, being a bit too embarrassed to speak freely. "I was being an idiot."

"Yeah...you're a big Midiot."

It went quiet in the room before Mikuo found another reason to speak.

"Hey...Masayuki? Why didn't you text me back earlier? I know I deserved it but...that doesn't seem like anything you'd do."

Masayuki rolled on his side, for the most part he was sobering up nicely and could think a bit more clearly.

"My mom told me to play hard to get, and not text you back...since you were being such a bi-" he paused briefly, "I can't say what we she said...but you get the point."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"I told you already I wasn't mad at you, I was just a bit upset..."

Mikuo sighed and pulled Masayuki into a hug, rolling his eyes. "That still counts idiot."

Masayuki's cheek enflamed with red not a moment sooner. Mikuo couldn't see this but he probably would've just assumed it was because he was drunk.

Whether it had been from the sudden warmth or even the after effects of the alcohol, Masayuki dozed off right there on spot.

Mikuo carried Masayuki upstairs,though finding his room in this massive hallway of completely identical doors was a challenge. It took about fifteen minutes before Mikuo could find and enter the young blonde's room. He was luckily able to easily slide and tuck the bot in without waking him, he wanted to at least make sure Masayuki was comfortable. As he turned and headed towards the door, Masayuki latched onto Mikuo's arm murmuring quietly, "Sleep with me tonight?"

Mikuo had said "No."

In fact he said it like seven times, but he still found himself in bed with the increasingly more smug blonde.

Rather Masayuki however with his still rather low inhibitions grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into the bed anyway and for good measure straddled him as well.

This made Mikuo rather uncomfortable because he was seriously considering doing something very very wrong now. When he had said he thought about having those legs wrapped around his waist he hadn't really meant it but now that it happened he couldn't function to say the least. Luckily for himself and Masayuki, the latter had seemingly fallen asleep.

Before Mikuo managed to at the very least pry Masayuki off of him (he had just decided to hang onto his waist if he couldn't sleep on him) dozed off, he wondered how he had ever thought this overly innocent boy could have had romantic thoughts about him anyway, if anything he was just clingy.

Unbeknownst to him though...Masayuki hadn't been entirely truthful about his feelings.

He did in fact love Mikuo. So much so that after the first few days of being completely ignored he had been taking his anger out on the local rabbits. Just downright killing them in the most brutal ways he could imagine. He had even ripped one's legs off and left it to suffer. One he had ripped it's ear off with his own teeth. One he even gouged it's eye out. He wanted nothing more to cause enough pain to forget his own. Which while he thought he was being pretty sneaky about it, his sister had noticed immediately. Most of his bright clothes that he hadn't been wearing were permanently stained with blood and that was the reason he wasn't wearing them. Blood didn't really show up on black clothes so that's why he had been wearing them. Those scratches on his arms were from the animals trying to escape his grip.

He had considered telling Masayuki about his psychosis a few times but he was too scared of what he would say, and whatever he would do in response. He was sure Mikuo wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Those innocent eyes, those glossy lips, those silky blonde locks...all belied the demon he had hidden inside him.

And Masayuki would hide that beast until he couldn't hide it anymore.

As long as Mikuo didn't leave him alone like that again...everything would be fine.

Right?

Mikuo was really one of the few things he cared about, or loved really, and if it's for love...anything and everything is okay right?

* * *

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ Even though we all know how that ended up xD ALSO THIS WAS MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET! 〜(^∇^〜）（〜^∇^)〜

Anyway before anyone asks, Masayuki is suffering from auditory hallucinations directly triggered by his monophobia. Monophobia or Autophobia is the abnormal fear of being left alone. Sufferers need not be physically alone, (in Masayuki's case he can't be left alone for too long or at all sometimes) but believe that they are being ignored, unloved, threatened by intruders, and so on. Autophobia also is used in its literal text to mean, "by oneself", an uncontrollable fear of oneself or ones potential capabilities. It is sometimes associated with self-hatred, or loathing. Autophobia may be a symptom of other psychological disorders or it may predispose a person to developing other psychological disorders. In his case it makes him act irrationally and violently which has lead to six deaths already. ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

NOTICE ME SENPAI! (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻ (⊙﹏⊙✿)

Anyway in all seriousness sorry if this took way too long or if you don't like that you waited a month for a flashback/filler chapter. I'm sorry! WRITING MURDER STORIES ARE HARD. I NEED MORE FEAR MATERIAL. o(╥﹏╥)o

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ But I promise to update regularly and junk! The next chapter is already at 5k words so look forward to it! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ


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